Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has released his first official statement of support for his estranged son Shyne (Jamal Barrow) since the rapper’s deportation return on Tuesday (October 27).
Shyne, who is the prime minister’s oldest child, had previously publicly stated that his son’s presence was “undesired” in Belize.
The rapper was also critical of his father in several songs and interviews, citing that the politician had done nothing to help him or his mother during their tenure in the United States.
After receiving Shyne earlier this week, Prime Minister Barrow expressed his hope that his son will recover from the physical and emotional scarring of a decade in prison.
“When I saw him yesterday I really was stunned,” Barrow explained to Belize’s 7 News. “You don’t go to jail for that period of time without it obviously exacting a huge toll on you but I really was shocked to see what it had physically done to him and clearly it will take some time for him to be able to recover from that experience. Not having gone through it myself, I don’t know whether anyone is ever able to recover.
“But it was wonderful to see that he is free at last and good to have him in Belize. Although he appeared physically frail, it was obvious that he is mentally as strong as ever and certainly kept talking to me about what his presence here at home could mean for this country, what opportunities he could cause us to be able to, [and] he could create for us.”
At press time, Shyne will be spending with weekend with his Belize family and awaiting the arrival of his legal advisor Professor Charles Ogletree.