Herbert Blaize

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Herbert Augustus Blaize (born February 24, 1918 on Carriacou ; † December 19, 1989 near St. George’s ) was a Grenadian politician and statesman .

Blaize was born in Cariacou, Grenada, in 1918. In 1953 he founded the Grenada National Party to compete with Eric Gairy's Grenada United Labor Party (GULP) . In 1957, Blaize joined the Grenadian government as Minister of Trade and Supply. In 1960 he became head of government ( Chief Minister ), but in 1961 he lost this office again to Eric Gairy. After Gairy resigned in 1962, Blaize became head of government again in 1962 and remained so until 1967.

In 1976 Blaize's center-right party formed a strategic alliance against Gairy's GULP with the left New Jewel Movement . That alliance broke when Maurice Bishop took power in a revolution in 1979 . Blaize retired from politics and stayed in Cariacou until 1983. After the invasion of Grenada by US troops and their allies in October 1983, Blaize won 14 out of 15 seats in the 1984 election with his party, which had united to form the New National Party .

Blaize became Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Home Affairs and National Security in 1984.

Blaize's government had tough economic policies and a close military alliance with the United States. His leadership style was often described and criticized as authoritarian. When he died in 1989 he was very unpopular; his resignation had often been requested.

His party lost the election after his death, but came back to power in 1995 with Keith Claudius Mitchell .