Castries.- Barbados’ second president, Jeffrey Bostic, was sworn in this Sunday during the fifty-ninth anniversary of the country’s independence from the United Kingdom and the fourth of the declaration of the republic.
Former Minister of Health and highly decorated military officer of the Barbados Defence Force, Bostic played a key role during the covid-19 pandemic with his motto ‘No retreat, no surrender‘, which earned him widespread recognition for his leadership during one of the country’s most difficult periods.
She succeeds Sandra Mason, who made history as the last governor-general (2018-2021) under the monarchical system and as the first president of the parliamentary republic.
On November 30, 2021, the head of state of Barbados ceased to be Queen Elizabeth II, ending the association with the British Crown of the island, a former colony of about 280,000 inhabitants that gained independence in 1966.
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The swearing-in ceremony of Mason was attended by the then Crown Prince and current British monarch Charles III.
Barbados has continued to be part of the Commonwealth, as did other former British colonies in the Caribbean that became republics: Guyana (1970), Trinidad and Tobago (1976) and Dominica (1978).
In the framework of the celebrations of the anniversaries of independence and the proclamation of the republic, several personalities were honored.
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The Governor of the Central Bank, Kevin Greenidge; cricket legend, Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner; and economist and philanthropist, Kurt Lambert, will hold the title of Most Honorable, the highest distinction of Barbados, starting today.
The three also received the Order of Freedom of Barbados for their distinguished and extraordinary service to the country, the Caribbean diaspora, and humanity in general.
