Barbados prepares to bid farewell to queen as head of state

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Caribbean island of Barbados is preparing to wave goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II as head of state as it cuts ties with its colonial past and becomes a republic for the first time in history. Monday’s preparations come a month after the Parliament of the former British colony once nicknamed “Little England” elected its first ever president in a two-thirds majority vote. Thousands of people were expected to watch the late-night event on TV, listen to it on the radio or see it in person at a popular square where the statue of a well-known British lord was removed last year amid a worldwide push to eradicate symbols of oppression.