And while Price is now immortalized as the father of Independence, on the twenty-fifth anniversary, he's also receiving another honor. President of Panama Martin Torrijos will visit Belize for the September celebrations and to confer Price with the highest order of Panama, the Omar Torrijos Herrera En Gran Cruz. It's powerful symbolism, since the former President of Panama and the current President's father, Omar Torrijos was a leading Central American advocate for Belize's Independence. During his visit Martin Torrijos will be accepting a posthumous Order of Belize on behalf of his father Omar. Price today told us he's honored.
Rt. Hon. George Price, Former Prime Minister
"I thank Panama, the people and government of Panama for this honor and I think it is a recognition of the friendship between Panama and Belize. And in our struggle for independence the late Omar Torrijos was a great help. He was able to sing the swing the vote of the Latin American countries at the United Nations in favor of the Independence of Belize."
Alfonso Noble,
Do you think things would have been different had he not been in support of Belize?
Rt. Hon. George Price,
"It would have been very difficult to move the Latin America bloc in favor of Belize but he led the way and for that I am very grateful."
Alfonso Noble,
Mr. Price twenty five years later how do you see the development of the country since 1981?
Rt. Hon. George Price,
"I think there has been much development. The country today has more resources, it has more assets, and the quality of life of many many people has improved but there is a problem - others have not reached it yet and we have to reach them. As the poem says, while we work, the floods come while we work to get them; the population increases. At the time of independence it was about a hundred and eighty thousand, today it is nearing three hundred thousand."
Alfonso Noble,
Is it as you had envisioned it to be twenty five years later?
Rt. Hon. George Price,
"Well my vision was that with independence we had more control of the government and of the country and we would put our plans to work and our plan was to improve living conditions of the people and as the poem of independence says, every Belizean, man and woman, would have a dignified life."
