With love from Finca Solana

The open and abandoned seas of the New World created an incentive for international maritime banditry, leading to European piracy in the New Continent. English pirates excelled in these feats, leading to the beginnings of British piracy. John Hawkins took the first shipment of slaves from Guinea in 1563, and in 1567, he and Francis Drake devastated the colony of Río de la Hacha, but suffered a great defeat in San Juan de Ulúa. Oxenham’s expedition to the Isthmus of Panama in 1570 was a sign of English audacity, as he crossed the isthmus, discovered a pinnace on the coast of the other sea, and set sail to capture the treasure of Peru. Drake’s taking of Nombre de Dios in 1572 was one of the most memorable piratical feats of the 16th century in the Caribbean Sea. Drake and Hawkins captured the gold and silver of Peru by mules, and Thomas Cavendish captured the galleon Santa Ana off California.

Drake’s famous foray along the Pacific coast led to the belief that the English had a mysterious passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The English pirates made their first landing in the Yucatan Peninsula in 1598, arriving in three ships and captained by William Parck. This was the first English pirate landing in the New World and the emigrants from Spain were convinced that their work of civilization was threatened. I want to believe that by now, all Belizeans ought to know that we are made up of several ethnic groups, each with its own history and culture. According to history, the enslaved people from Africa were brought here by the British before this place was called the Settlement of the Bay of Honduras. That settlement, as you may know, was an agreement made between Spain and England. Many of these people who have been brought here by force came through other channels, such as islands from the Caribbean. So, the descendants of our sisters and brothers who we know as the Creole community, have a historical tie with those islands, but not all of us. Thus, their history as an ethnic group of this country which we respect and we should respect, because that is very important to them.

But the other ethnic groups, like the one I belong to, which is the Maya, we have our own history and culture. I think, in a very humble way, that we need to learn to respect and to acknowledge our history, our culture, and to embrace all of us as one human species. It is said that, officially, the enslaved people were known to be here sometime in 1724. That’s what those who say that they know, say. I was not born in those days, so I didn’t see it; I don’t know. I can only learn from where I read and get the information from. There is another thing which I see that we need to learn, and I also believe that the system which was created as a department, known as NICH, that it’s their obligation to investigate the true history of this country we call Belize, because they are being paid from our taxes. I want to add onto it that Belize is a beautiful country in which to live with a whole lot of problems that we need to solve, old and new problems. I listen on many occasions to people who speak about the Olmecs, and there is a history there, where today, in this 21st century, investigation has been made through the findings of bones from this indigenous people that have existed, which has proven that they were not Africans; the Olmecs were not Africans, if not, indigenous people of this land.

We also have to look at the information that is given, scientifical information, of the arrivals or the crossing of the Bering Strait by the Mongolians. I was not here 25,000 years ago. I can only speak of what I have read that the Africans were here probably 10,000 years ago and have crossed coming from island to island until arriving to this part of the world, which we know as the Maya World. But that the Olmecs were Africans? Please! I think it is time for NICH, which is the official organization, to do a profound research on the true history of this country about the Olmecs, through the anthropologist and archeological scientific department at the UNAM (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico). This scientific department found the Hallazgo findings of these bones and studied it, thereafter, made it public.

In 1896, Jose Maria Melgar y Serrano came across the Olmec colossal head, and said that the Olmecs were Africans. So, I think it would be important and very interesting if the authorized authorities should do their job and educate our people. I feel very sad when I listen to nonsense, listen to persons who speak without having done an in-depth investigation. I don’t think we have all the professionals of such subject in this country. Once more, I want to emphasize that we respect the history and culture of the enslaved people who were brought here and their descendants. We also agree and give our support to the struggles that have been in play for many years, because we know also about the rising of these people against the masters of those days who use to ill-treat them. I think by now, many of you ought to know about that history, or if not, then it is the Ministry of Education that should set that into the curriculum for everyone to learn.

That doesn’t mean that is the only history of this place we call Belize. No, because we also had a war where my ancestors fought against the Spaniards and took them out from here in 1638; a war that lasted from 1528 until 1697. There were no British here, there were no enslaved African people here, it was a war set up by my ancestors against the Spanish rule. It is well-documented. It is also documented about our history, our culture and also the beginning of our mixture which we call Mestizos, which started in 1511 with Gonzalo Guerrero, a Spaniard who was called renegade by his own people. That is an interesting history also. We are not teaching the true history of this place, and what we have done is to base our history on myth because our system or the oligarchy of this country, those who love the monarchy system, have put under the rug the true history of this place and want it to be known or want it to be taught in school as the one and only true history of Belize.

I feel ashamed of those who have their PhD in African and Maya history and have not made their voice be heard clearly to educate our people. Yes, it is true that we have a struggle, so do the Africans or the descendants of African enslaved people, so do our people the Maya, and also, we the mixture of them all. Our struggle is for equality. I personally, as a citizen of this world, as a citizen of this country, as a human being, I prefer the struggle by all of us for equality because we all have the same right to live a happy life. We also have the right to live in a democratic system, and when I say democratic I mean the interpretation of such word. We are not a democratic country. We are a capitalist neoliberal monarchy country administrated by oligarchies. We have deep-rooted problems that have been happening for many, many years. There are many things that have been done by the leaders of this country which at its time, for them it was important, but today, today, in this 21st century, I think we should have a more awakened people in common sense if it is not through the learning academic system, imposed by foreign entities. I think, we are a thinking people, and I think we are intelligent and wise enough to know the truth about our own existence. My brothers and sisters, Belizeans, all, with love from Finca Solana.

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March 11, 2023
Finca Solana
Corozal Town