Distrust for elected members is 'self-hating'- Premier
Speaking at the Virgin Islands Heritage Committee’s 2026 Sunday Morning Well Emancipation Service on Sunday, August 2, 2026, he said the moment represented an important step in the Territory’s continuing struggle for full self-determination.
'We are not fully free'
“Just a few weeks ago, we commenced negotiations on a new constitution,” the Premier said, adding, “This is because we are not fully free. We do not have full democracy.”
Honourable Wheatley argued that there are still areas of our governance which are controlled by those we did not elect, and said the United Nations has made clear that “the colonial system of government must come to an end.”
He added that it was unfortunate that some people within the Territory still resist progress.
“There are those among us who would not like to see that type of progress,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately, some of our very own.”
'Expressing self-hatred'
He said those who believe “the 13, who were elected by the people of the Virgin Islands, cannot be trusted to govern outside the watchful eye of those who enslaved us are expressing nothing more than self-hatred, along with a lack of self-esteem and a lack of belief in our own abilities".
The Premier added that Virgin Islanders have already proven themselves capable of success.
Self-governance is achievable
“We have every reason to have confidence in our abilities,” he declared, pointing to the fact that the Territory has built “2 global world-class industries in tourism and financial services.”
Turning to the future, Wheatley framed self-government as both achievable and necessary. “So, as a former president of the United States said, yes, we can,” he said. “Yes, we can manage our civil service. Yes, we can manage our own security. Yes, we can chair our own cabinet. Yes, you can manage our affairs successfully.”
He said the Virgin Islands can reach that goal, “just like so many of our brothers and sisters, former crown colonies have done.”
But he cautioned that progress will require collective effort. “It requires a few things. We must all take responsibility for unifying our divided community.”
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22 Responses to “Distrust for elected members is 'self-hating'- Premier”
You our new Colonial Masters are the oppressors.
SECRET GOVERNMENT, SECRET REPORTS, SECRET ACCOUNTS, SECRET Million Dollar TRANSACTIONS.
It is you that cannot be trusted. It is not the UK, that while not perfect do operate by modern standards.
You our wannabee masters are living with a mentality that should have been left behind.
The rest of the world has been on. VI cannot while we have this type of leadership.
And secondly, as it regards to colonialism it's a greater country exploiting a weaker country and it's resources for gain. Basically that's not what the politicians do us on a national level? What the major difference whether we get it from locals or foreigners.
Treat ya people better and stop talk thrash.
Moreover, Virgin Islands is financially self-supporting; it has been off grant-in-aid since 1979 under the Dr. Willard Wheatley Administration. Like people elsewhere, Virgin Islanders are entitled to voluntarily self-determination, viz, Integration, Independence, Free Association, Status Quo, etc, but must be given the opportunity through a referendum to voluntarily decide.
Further, slavery and colonialism have had an impact on segments of the popuiation.The colonialists conquered and colonized the territory under the false civilizing premise. Through social engineering they divided, polarized,creating distrust, fear, less than mentality, etc. They conditioned to believed that the colonialists had best their best interests at heart, not their self interest. They created an appeasement, Stockholm syndrome mentality,self-hatred, self-discrimination mentality, premising that they would provide a better quality of life, standards of living, etc. When things got rough in the Virgin Islands, the colonialists bolted from the territory labeling it as a poverty stricken land, which was only useful as a bird sanctuary.Well, things have changed and they are back; gentrification/regentrification is on the rise. Let the people vote soonest on a self-determination option(s). Bermuda, a sister Overseas Territory voted on a self-determination options, ie, independence, in 1995. Let’s determine what a majority of people want and geh ah dun mai son.
Envestment of $Ms in not legal authorization scremes, lately, Jamaican Com.- $2.5M, and of course others, some know and others publicly unknown. And the list goes continuing, as per reports.?
You, Sir, Premier Natalio Sajuande Wheatley, and some done some good, and other, too, but we must chose to sees rights and wrongs not through the lense of racial culturalization and ethnic diversity, but some of us, local included, chose to look through the lense of love that favors balance treatment for all human in all countries of the world. Until you, Sir, prove your love in action to us that intreated hope in your leadership to defend our national interest first, you don't make any good sense to me of your criticism of those that don't agree with you against UK'S policy, seeing that you, Sir, by your failure to treat us as your equal.are just as crooked, maybe more crooked than they you see as haters. Maybe they are, but are you not also a proven hater of justice for all.
The premier needs to stop it, we would love to be independent but we can't do it under you guys because we don't trust you all to not s**** all of our money, first it was bank of asia next its jamaica, you guys cannot be trusted