Colonialism in action

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie on Thursday

CARICOM Community… unclear what is their response to the ongoing constitutional crisis that has hit the sister Caribbean island that last week

As far as I am aware, The British Virgin Islands is an Associate Member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the CARICOM Community, yet it is unclear what is their response to the ongoing constitutional crisis that has hit the sister Caribbean island that last week was hit by two whammies. First the arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie on Thursday at a Miami airport on a conspiracy to smuggle tonnes of cocaine through the British Virgin Island, along with the senior BVI port official, Oleanvine Maynard, and Kadeem Maynard – Ms. Maynard’s son, followed by the release of the long-awaited, British Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry Report which in addition to its 45 recommendations, suggested a suspension of BVI’s constitution for two years and be brought under direct British rule.

In March of this year the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders issued a communique in which it expressed “deep concern” with the United Kingdom-backed Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), citing “lack of transparency.”

Royal Family told to avoid ‘phoney sanctimony’ over slavery

The debacle comes as the Royal visit of the Earl and Countess of Wessex to the region was wrapping up where they visited St. Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines and, Antigua and Barbuda. Grenada was dropped from the itinerary at the last minute. Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission published an open letter to Prince Edward and Sophie in which they told Royal Family to avoid ‘phoney sanctimony’ over slavery.

Amanda Milling to the troubled British overseas territory

The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss has dispatched the minister for overseas territories, Amanda Milling, to the troubled British overseas territory, for talks to determine the way forward.

The BVI is among the last remnants of the British empire in the Caribbean, as are: Montserrat, Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks, and Caicos Islands.