Former United Democratic Party leader turned PUP parliamentarian Dr Theodore Aranda dies

Published by BBNTEAM at July 10, 2022

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Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2022. 12:00 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: Leader of the Opposition United Democratic Party Moses “Shyne” Barrow has informed of the passing of Dr Theodore ‘Ted’ Aranda of Dangriga.

A Ph. D. holder in education from the University of Illinois, he joined the then newly formed UDP in 1974 and was elected area representative for Dangriga in 1979. Due to Dean Lindo losing his seat, Aranda won an internal vote to become party leader, the first non-Belize City party leader ever.

However, his term was difficult and he ended up being removed from the party leadership in favour of the late Sir Manuel Esquivel in 1982, then left the party altogether to form the second version of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP).

He would lose his seat in Dangriga in the 1984 general elections, then regain it under the People’s United Party banner in 1989. He would serve a third term from 1998 to 2003, becoming the only person since Independence to have represented a constituency under both major parties.

Aranda is also known for his Garifuna activism, forming the World Garifuna Organization (WGO) in 2000 to represent the Garinagu population in opposition to the National Garifuna Council (NGC).

Barrow expressed “deepest sympathies” to the Aranda family, stating, “We thank Hon. Dr. Aranda for his service to the UDP and Belize as well as his activism on behalf of the Garifuna People.”

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