Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet Address on the Occasion of Saint Lucia’s 42nd Independence Anniversary
Monday February 22nd 2021
Happy Independence Day to All Saint Lucians.
What a difference a year makes! A year ago, when I addressed you on the occasion of our 41st Independence anniversary, there was little mention in our island of the word ‘Coronavirus’ or ‘COVID’.
We were together for an amazing celebration of everything Saint Lucian. In fact, for the past few years our Independence celebrations have truly been “all in” and outstanding, with the addition of the National Independence Parade and displays of branding and cultural presentations befitting the occasion.
In my address to you a year ago, I told you about the advances that our country had made since 1979, along with the more recent successes of our government since assuming the mantle of leadership in 2016. It was clear for all to see that Saint Lucia was again back on track with its development.
Covid-19 has impacted this development and there is no denying that there will be setbacks. We have had immense revenue losses and had to reallocate a lot of our resources to fight the pandemic. But you would have heard me say repeatedly over the past year that Covid-19 will not define us. Nor will we allow it to deter us.
On this occasion therefore, my message to the people of Saint Lucia, is forward-looking, hence the theme for this year’s celebrations: “A Resilient Nation: We can. We will
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