Jamaica and Belize say they want to become republics, two days before the coronation of Charles III

Officials from Jamaica and Belize, Commonwealth countries of which Charles III is king, said they wanted to become republics on Thursday, May 4. In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian*, the Prime Minister of Belize assured that he was “very likely” that his country would be the next to become a republic.

Johnny Briceno also highlighted the UK’s slavery past to justify this reflection. He strongly criticized the refusal of his British counterpart, Conservative leader Rishi Sunak, to apologize for the UK’s role in the triangular trade.

Barbados as an example

“The time has come. Jamaica in Jamaican hands”for his part asserted Marlene Malahoo Forte, the Minister in charge of Constitutional Questions, on the Sky News* channel. She said Kingston is considering holding a referendum on the issue as early as 2024.

“A lot of Jamaicans had a warm affection for Queen Elizabeth II. But they don’t identify with King Charles III. He is a total stranger to us.”

Marlene Malahoo Forte, Jamaican Minister for Constitutional Affairs

at Sky News

Referring to the relationship “complex” between the two countries, the Jamaican minister felt that becoming a republic came down “to say goodbye to a form of government that is linked to a painful past of colonization and slave trade”.

These two statements come two days before the coronation of Charles III, King of Jamaica and Belize, as well as thirteen other countries. Republican tendencies are increasingly strong in certain Commonwealth kingdoms, some of which want to follow the example of Barbados, which became a republic in 2021.

* Links marked with asterisks refer to content in English.