Rapper-turned-politician Moses Michael Levi Barrow, who now serves as the leader of the opposition in Belize, recently shared his views on his country’s political landscape during a visit to Jamaica.
He believes that Belize should focus on eradicating poverty and breaking free from a cycle of dependence, empowering citizens to become self-sufficient with support from government resources.
Barrow remains optimistic about Belize’s potential to attract foreign investment and foster international cooperation, highlighting tourism as one of Belize’s most flourishing sectors, particularly emphasizing eco-tourism due to the country’s renowned barrier reefs.
He identifies construction, energy, and tourism as key areas of potential growth, and notes that most visitors to Belize are from North America, with flight times of about one and a half to two hours from Miami and Houston, respectively.
‘I began traveling more frequently to the US in 2021, where I’ve been able to meet with renowned figures in Urban America, such as Jay Z and DJ Khaled. I’ve also been privileged to meet with numerous congressmen and senators, engaging in mind-stimulating conversations on leadership and economics. These trips have also provided me with a better understanding of where the largest Belizean diaspora in the US resides- Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago,’ Barrow shared.
Barrow used his visit to highlight the cultural links between Belize and Jamaica, citing a recent event that their government had staged that included a performance by Jamaican artist Shenseea.
‘The festival was a terrific idea, but it needs a lot of work. As long as data from the most recent incident is provided, I’m happy to support the ongoing investment. We recorded about 10,000 attendees flying into Belize for the festival, including regular tourists and Belizean Americans alike. It’s not out of the question that (with onboarding a Jamaican partner like Dream Entertainment Limited) we can significantly increase that number’ Barrow said. This is for a country of only 400,000 people.
He believes that there are measures that can and should be implemented to lessen the level of criminality that is now being faced, because, like nearly every other nation, Belize experiences its fair share of criminal issues even though they are not as broad as in other Central American nations.
‘The Belizean population is relatively small, and we’re thankful not to have any organized crime problems, but I believe that economic development is the solution to tackling crime, locally and internationally. Adding to that, we need a stronger judiciary and a better trained police force to adequately combat these issues,’ he added.
Additionally, he made hints about the necessity for the government to provide enough housing, healthcare, and educational opportunities for the security personnel to better equip them to combat the epidemic of crime.
Belize boasts a thriving agricultural industry, like that of Jamaica, with sugar and citrus historically being the nation’s primary output.
Even though the amount of citrus produced is decreasing, Barrow remains hopeful that recovery is imminent with the eradication of the diseases plaguing the citrus crops.
Despite this, banana and sugar production are still high.
‘Jamaica and Belize share similar traits when it comes to marijuana. The use of marijuana has been legalized in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Unfortunately, our Governor General has not brought the legislation into effect which has stunted the progress hoped for. Under my leadership, I would absolutely prioritize gaining full legalization for both recreational and medicinal purposes, which will in turn further enhance our tourism market,’ concluded Barrow.
During his visit to Jamaica, Barrow met with a range of notable figures, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness – whom he regards as a close ally to Belize and the United Democratic Party – the Deputy Prime Minister Horace Chang, the Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, the Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica Chen Daojiang, Michael Lee Chin, Lisa Hanna, Vybz Kartel, and Scott Dunn, the group managing director of Dream Entertainment.
