Wondering

Thurs. 30/4/15- It is 3:38 in the evening; however we have been awake since three this morning wondering about what was going to unfold in front of our eyes today. We were “wondering” if the actual president of the republic of Guatemala knew about the visit of Ambassador Todd Robinson of the United States to the Crib of the Garifuna Culture of Guatemala.

Many of the participants were surprised to know that he is a black man. In this case we became aware that the actual ambassador of the United States in Guatemala was a Brother because we saw him on the news media speaking about the extension of CICIG for another two years in Guatemala on April 23rd 2015

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Many of us would like to know if Ambassador Todd Robinson is the first Black Ambassador to serve in Guatemala. If the answer to this particular question is yes, then Brother Robinson was home away from home. He said in so many words that it was an honor and a pleasure for him to visit the Garifuna of Guatemala and has been informed about the Garifunas that are living in the big cities of the United States.

We were able to know for the first time about another ethnic group very much like us that lives somewhere in South East area of the United States by the name of Gullah. In this case, we might have more in common than there are differences.

Be that as it may we find it necessary to mention that as Garinagu we were never slaves. Our language can be another factor that made us different from so many other Blacks in the Americas.

We were very much aware that his visit to Labuga was more about courtesy than politics. However we would like for him to know that as Garifuna People we totally agreed with his observation of the situation of the Guatemalan People. That Guatemala has two faces, we have the faces of people who live in the city and we have the faces of the people who live on edge.

Ambassador Todd Robinson we have read that you have a background in journalism and would like to share a message we wrote over a year ago that goes like this  “Today is February 4th 2014 therefore it was three months ago that I was in Tela Honduras. I said then that my trip to Honduras was about a relationship that is taking place between the physical and spiritual. But before I continue I would like to share with you a message from Madiba that goes like this “During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal which I am prepared to die”.

It has been two months since the passing of Madiba and my question today is how well have we applied the lesson he taught us in our own life?

I was looking at an “image” of me that was taken in 1962; this was a time in history that Madiba was doing time at Robben Island. I was at the presidential palace on the 4th December 2013 the day before Madiba’s passing. I said then that this government is creating an “image” and it is an image in creation. Since the sixteenth of January 2014, the children and future of our nation has only had one day of class for this year. It is an “image” the world is watching and from my point of view as a Garifuna I want to share this with you.

President Otto Pérez Molina; “During my lifetime I have dedicated a part of my life to this struggle of the Garifuna People. I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and defend.  But if needs be, it is an ideal which I am prepared to die”.

Au-le

Lúbara Huya