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Barbados becomes a republic: will others follow suit?

Wednesday, 01 December 2021 12:24 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 01 December 2021 12:24 AM ]

Saeed Pourreza
Press TV, London

The Caribbean island nation of Barbados has become the world’s newest republic, 55 years after it gained independence from colonial master, the United Kingdom. An emotional, historic day that’s spurred debate on whether-or-not other Caribbean nations will follow suit and renounce the Crown.

No kings or queens, but a president from the ranks of Barbadians charting a path forward for the world’s youngest republic.

One of those accomplishments: independence from monarchical rule in 1966, more than three centuries after English settlers arrived and turned the island into a wealthy sugar colony based on the work of hundreds of thousands of African slaves.

Experts say Barbados becoming a republic is the natural progression of a trend that started since Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne in 1952. That it will accelerate in the coming years, not necessarily during this reign but perhaps in the next.

The brutal history in Barbados and other Caribbean islands has also spurred calls for reparations from the UK. For now though people in this a now republic of nearly 300,000 will be celebrating throwing off the shackles of British colonialism, and focus on building their future, Barbadian style.

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