Conrad Maduro: Virgin Islanders are becoming slaves in their own country
Leader of the United Party Conrad Maduro.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – The political campaigns in the Virgin Islands are beginning to heat up ahead of the 2011 general elections due by November of this year which thus far, will be fought by four political parties.
The four parties are the ruling Virgin Islands Party of Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, the United Party of Conrad Maduro, the People’s Party of L. Allen Wheatley and the Opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) in Parliament of Dr. D. Orlando Smith.
In an almost 35-minute speech on local radio station ZBVI last evening Monday February 21, 2011, the United Party (UP) leader, and veteran politician Conrad Maduro lashed out at both political parties and the system of government.
The founding member of the UP, which was launched in 1967, gave a lecture to his listeners on the Virgin Islands form of government defining a democracy, a monarchy, good governance and a ruler, and telling the people that “the laws are made for the lawless”.
Maduro said in his speech that, with the establishment of the European Union it has resulted in an attack on Christian values and “we as a people must continue to fight to protect our rights and freedoms”.
The former Minister for Natural Resources and Labour asserted that the current elected politicians are “not doing anything for the youths” or the people and that Virgin Islanders “are becoming slaves in their own country”.
To justify this statement, Maduro told the public in his speech last evening that the VI’s lands are being sold out and the younger people would not have a future in the Virgin Islands if that continues.
He also blasted the current elected members of the House of Assembly for according to him “receiving $2000.00 in allowances to live in their own homes”.
He warned the public that is was a bad idea to advocate for a coalition government for the next general elections and said in his speech that the way to go is the party system which is best for good governance. He encouraged the public to attend his UP meetings and help in the selection process of candidates to contest the next general elections and even gave the public his home telephone number.
While he did not directly call names, Maduro gave the listeners some history of a coup against the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government when he stated that “they went in the early hours of the morning to disturb the governor to over throw the VIP Government”.
Mr. Maduro may have been referring to an attempt by a then VIP Minister to cross the floor in 2001, and went to the then governor who was at the time living on Beef Island, to try to form a government with then elected members of the NDP.
Speaking exclusively to VINO last year Maduro said, “I am willing to help wherever the people want me to, for I am disappointed in the two parties”.
Maduro last contested the 2003 general elections as an Independent At-Large candidate. He was defeated and came in 9th out of 13 candidates, as only the top four are elected.
Maduro had told VINO what the country really needs is proper representation, and “it’s up to the people and his party if he runs”.
Mr. Maduro was a member of the then Virgin Islands Legislative Council from 1971 to 1979, 1983-1990 and from 1995-1999.
His United Party produced the Virgin Islands first Chief Minister, the late H. Lavity Stoutt.
Among Maduro’s achievements while an elected member of the then Legislative Council, are the enactment of the Virgin Island’s first Labour Code and his support for the Social Security Act.
22 Responses to “Conrad Maduro: Virgin Islanders are becoming slaves in their own country”
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Mr.Maduro, in this day and age you should be ashamed to keep bringing up slavery as a modern day excuse. There is not one person in the BVI who is a slave and you should really understand the horrific meaning of the word before you incite racial upheavel – there is already enough of that in these little islands.
Nobody is owned in the BVI! No one is forced to go to their job! Nobody is denied basic human rights! Every BVIslander and non BVislander has the opportunity to buy what ever they want (within their means) and work wherever they want including self-employment and running for election. It is time to stop using these kinds of words and statements that are clearly set at causing upheavel in these islands and are truley inaccurate. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you.
Mr. Maduro is spot on there are many different forms of salvey..so he very right no need to go through denial
Obviously you are seriously unknowledgable. To use a name like Gaddaffi speaks of your character and the type of person you are. There is no slavery in the BVI!
There are different types of slavery: bonded labor, forced labor, slavery by descent, trafficking, child labor, plantation, urban slaves, slaves that work in the mines and sexual slavery. – If you know of any of these existing in the BVI then you need to report them to the police station immediatly.
If not please refrain from chatting nonsense and embarrassing your ancesters who knew the meaning of the word, who knew of the terrible conditions that they had to go through and who would have never have known of the easy life you have now.
to ‘Disgusting’
Thank you so much for bringing some common sense to this board! I couldn’t have said it better myself!!!
please!!!! “Disgusting” he ah chat shit…slavery ah live and well in dey BVI…
One does not have to be in chain for slavery to exist. Other than physical slavery there is economic , mental……slavery. Just as Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of porridge Virgin Islanders trading their birthright for a few green backs. They are not understanding that land and other resources are nonrenewable. Once the land is gone and the few dollars evaporate, all you can do is drive by or sail by and lament that my family once own this or that. Secondly, we are not educating ourselves to meet our labor needs. Let me we are selling everything that we own and except for a few we are functional illiterates….etc. Virgin Islands are minority in their own countries. Collectively, all these things spell, perhaps not physical slavery, but slavery nonetheless.
@DISGUSTING… What mr. maduro is saying is all true. is a new kind of slavery. It is happening right know.
Comrade give it up man…accept that your time has pass!
If the United Party get some fresh faces I will vote for them as both the NDP and VIP are bad for this place!
i agree but as long as Maduro tink he tis the best thing for the party dem aint going no way!
with four parties battling for 13 seats and I just heard another one coming- Wade, John, Gerry, Shana and the likes …. then it’s a sure win for the VIP…wake up opposition parties come together
Maduro said in his speech that, with the establishment of the European Union it has resulted in an attack on Christian values and “we as a people must continue to fight to protect our rights and freedoms”.
Slavery of the mind. Is there anyone that ever questions the anti-democratic seepage of “christian values” and “church” talk into every other politician’s words? Fools ask for smarter things, and these fools may be careful about what they wish for. Is he who has always wanted and then has it and won’t share it, not a fable for children? Children of the BVI political establishment, the right to practice christianity, or any religion, especially protestant forms (Methodist) has only been around so long as democracy has allowed it. When you start injecting your beliefs into the government, you make it yours. Not ours. Shut your ignorant mouths and govern for the people. One can get their church in church and at home. Fix the roads, allow business to flourish, crush the criminals. But please, leave the preaching to the reverends. To curry favor in a very religious society (BVI) by manipulating political power into projecting religious favor is a fools errand. It’s like why we don’t smoke at gas stations. We don’t chat church in free democracies.
Re “sold our land” The BVI has sold its people away to the usa and europe where they can learn good skills and get good pay, while the nepotism and xenophobia of the local ruling elite and its bureaucracies retard the overall growth and progress of the BVI, for the protection of their inferior, and often monopolistic local businesses. AKA, don’t let anyone in to teach a tiny population 1st rate, world best services and skills, so you can keep the market to yourself.
Pennywise, pound foolish. Slowly draining the bvi of the best it produces, as they leave for opportunity.
Unfortunatly this will go right over most peoples heads. Well written
SPEAK FOR YOUR SELF BOSS
Thank you cannon sparrow well said.
We are not becoming slaves in our own country – that is an old-time philosophy and argument that we have long moved past. we are becoming empowered in our own country. what politicians need to be arguing these days is for legislative reforms and enforcement. The people in the BVI are now well travelled and trained, we know our rights and are not afraid to fight for them, the only thing holding us back is foolish, squandering, nontransparent, greedy government fat cats.
Good speech Mr. Conrad, but it’s a pity the public not taking you seriously… as I personally believe you are one of the better candidate with your finger on the issues…
I totally agree with Mr. Maduro and Quiet Storm you are spot on. It is modern day slavery. The field hands are in the numerous trust companies here in the BVI. They have a few house negroes who get into managerial posts, they pull up the ladder and assist Massa with keeping the rest from climbing. Yes, they create employment, but the managers and directors do not encourage and motivate the young people to upward mobility. They pay them minimum wages and work them to death. What if all the trust companies were to move out of the BVI, Road Town would become a concrete jungle. Have you ever read the book, Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall, that’s what I want to do when I witness some of the atrocities on our people. We need to rise up and demand better governance and leadership. Why are we settling for the status quo and we suffer.
No Vision. Welcome tot he real world, it has nothing whatsoever to do with slavery and is the way that business operate around the world. What the hell does color have to do with it? Why does everything in the BVI have to become a color issue? A BVIslander is in a much better position than a foreignor to open up a business here. Had these “Foreign” companies not come here to open up there business there would be a lot less people employed, a lot less people employed means less opportunities for people to spend money and less oportunities for BVIslanders to open up shops, garages or any other business that is successful due to the population being employed. Instead of complaining and turning everything into a racial issue you need to get off your back side and become an entrepeneur – there are no color boundaries for entrepeneurs and no excuses. Dont wait on our government to do something for you, they are out for themeselves and have all made their own personal wealth – you need to do the same instead of making sorrowful excuses.
I agree with No Vision
whenever there is envy there is som stupid black man talk. there are too many getto type workers in the bvi and at the other extreme too many lazy and complacent ones. yes some oppression may exist in trust companies but i tell you a lot of it is people hopping out of high school straight to college and coming back wanting to be manager of this and that when they don’t know their head from dem foot. besides what bvislanders lack is the ability to strategise. strategise how to play the people game and beat them – ever heard “you got to kiss donkey a** before you whop donkey a**”. gossip and complaining don’t get a soul a where – JUST STRATEGISE
b v isladers are alredy slaves so where you all been people????