Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs has made sure that one of St. Maarten’s national figures and a local heroine is remembered with respect. The statue of Lalie Duzanson on the Dutch Quarter/Belvedere round about was damaged during the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo and has ever since been leaning backwards.
Prime Minister Gumbs recently got in contact with sculptor Michael Maghiro with a simple yet deliberately strong message: Ms. Lalie was good to St. Maarten and we cannot let her memory be disrespected in such a manner, even if it was an act of God.
To his credit, Maghiro took it upon himself to cover the statue with the blue tarpoline prior to the call of the Prime Minister. However, he said the PM showed genuine urgency in getting the statue repaired as soon as possible. Maghiro said he is also maintaining the other statues.
“If we immortalize our people and honor them with statues, we have to ensure that these reflect the greatness of our people at all times. These are the things I care about, the memories and contributions of our people who sacrificed personally for St. Maarten and selflessly helped others,” Prime Minister Gumbs said.