Charter boat companies were guilty of racism– Maduro
Mr Maduro on his show aired on August 31, 2013 on CBN Channel 51, claimed that facts are in the Immigration Department that would give testimony that discrimination at the level of government was encouraged against blacks in the Virgin Islands.
“I was Chief Immigration Officer and I have seen a lot of these things. I am telling you two charter boat companies wrote to me as Chief Immigration Officer telling me that their guests who were coming to sail in the BVI do not want any black captain or any black cooks on the yachts,” alleged Mr Maduro.
In a subsequent interview with Virgin Islands News Online, Mr Maduro said that one of the companies guilty of this act of discrimination against blacks still currently exists in the territory.
He declined to release the name of the company but insisted that the evidence is with the Immigration Department. Not releasing names of companies, governments, ministers or any other would have been guilty of supporting such act, however, Maduro said it was a personal decision he made in order to maintain the peace.
“I am not going to call names, but when I applied to the minister of the day, he permitted and allowed those companies to discriminate in that manner,” alleged Mr Maduro. He said he had stated his position clearly to the companies that if they did not want the local captains to manage the boats they should go to a Caucasian country.
Mr Maduro stressed that there are over one thousand chartered cruise yachts that operate in the VI and he alleged that there are very few captains that are blacks.
“That is why you would always hear me say I don’t care whether you are red, white, black, salmon, yellow or green, I don’t care. Every man in this world has equal rights when it comes to living, when it comes to the constitution of the British Virgin Islands and our government should never ever allow discrimination of any kind to take place in the British Virgin Islands,” declared Mr Maduro.
At that juncture of his public discourse, Mr Maduro was speaking of the importance of residents of the Virigin Islands standing up against the government of the day to defend their rights and protect the VI from "foreign invasion".
While touching on the topic, Maduro said the present government is going heads back and full speed to give the cruise ship control of lands next to the airport which belong to the Virgin Islands, ” I am saying to you BVIslanders, it is wrong.”
Mr Maduro served as Chief Immigration Officer during the period 1969-1989.
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42 Responses to “Charter boat companies were guilty of racism– Maduro”
M... was the worst corrupt chief immigration officer. He now talk when he was guilty of all sort of discrimination
you coming to a predominantly black territory where the fart you expect them to go look in every hole and under ever slimy rock to go dig up a white captain and crew just to please one set of fools? in that case we dont need them we have our own set of fools here to deal with that we cant get handle.
GO BY VC AND YOU WILL SEE THEM OUT THERE
I don't see a set of local or black captains and gourmet chefs standing on the side of the road looking job, neither. People here don't seem to like the sea anymore. We happy to have a whole pillar of our economy selling the ocean beauty and meanwhile raise a whole generation of kids (or is it two/three?) who can't swim, can't sail, can't snorkel, can't scuba, can't stand being servants to white tourists (that's what boat crews do, 24/7, 365) – all those things that would get them easy jobs in this sector.
Bottom line: How can we get more local people in this sector?
First, compulsory swimming in all the schools. Once these kids swim, they can appreciate and benefit from the tourism product we selling. Until then, staff for water-based activities will always have to be imported.
Two: stop breeding this us and them mentality that keeps all these watersports companies in the hands of white people. Keep your pride but go learn from them or anyone who knows, how to become a skipper, or a marine chef or any of these ocean things. And of course, deal with the fact you will be serving the guests.
Until then, all you just sitting high and dry, and calling 'racist' is just a distraction to make you feel better.
Where there is evidence of racist labour practices, let them be punished in each instance. Where there is not, don't throw gas and play with matches.
I was called a "MONKEY" among other belittling words by a owner of a charter company that operates out of Nanny Cay. The couple was visiting another couple where i was residing and I politely asked that they park properly from blocking my entrance immediately they got loud, aggressive and very racist. I couldnt believe my ears because my 5yr was standing there with me and my neighbor stood their and said absolutely nothing they are white Americans. I reported the incident to Immigrant Department nothing was done not even an investigation. I drove to Nanny Cay head office to get their full names as well as the name of the company. To date they are still residence and operating the same business at Nanny Cay.
Sure, you go down to some bars you'll find some white fools talking bad about black people. But you also find them talking bad about other white people. And you also find them drinking and laughing and being friends with black, yellow and red people. Go down to other bars and you find black people sitting talking cr*p about white people. And other black people. etc. etc.
It is not about racism. It is about if we are decent people. Yes, maybe some of those whites who come here are evil but if you use those ones to paint ALL the whites who come here in the same way, YOU are being evil.
Plenty white and black marry and have children here in the BVI. What you white haters going to do when your revolution starts? Condemn them as racists too?
Don't fan the flames of black and white. Enjoy the whole color spectrum and treat each according to their actions. Otherwise we changing our name to the British Damnation Islands.