Politicians 'too cowardly' when it comes to self-determination- E. Benito Wheatley
As the Virgin Islands (VI) recognises its annual Emancipation Festival, Mr Wheatley has been releasing segments of his contributions at the Caribbean Studies Association’s 49th Annual Conference in June 2025.
The conference, held under the theme 'Reparations, Resistance, Resilience, Reproduction and Rehabilitation’, took place in Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten, in June 2025.
People must be led toward self-determination
“This business of decolonisation is not benign. What I mean by that is, it is not without human agency,” Mr Wheatley said during the session he spoke at 'Towards The Eradication of The Caribbean Colonial Condition'.
He added that if people are going to move to independence or some form of self-determination, they must be led to it.
“There is no independence movement that has ever happened without leadership taking the lead to educate people and bring them along. There is no way it can happen otherwise.”
Mr Wheatley said the issue of just having a referendum to see what the people say in the absence of leadership towards self-determination will not work.
“No, you have to lead them.”
Politicians have been too cowardly
In the VI, the narrative has been the same for a while: that self-determination is the way forward. However, the Territory has not taken any solid, decisive steps towards it.
The United Nations (UN) has a Special Committee on Decolonisation (C-24). That mission visited the VI in 2024 and released a report stating that “there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination” for the United Kingdom Overseas Territory.
The C-24 also recommended the implementation of a UN-backed educational programme focused on the political status options endorsed by the UN.
The VI is one of 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories falling under the remit of the C-24.
Mr Wheatley also faulted politicians for the slow pace when it comes to educating people of former colonies that have not received complete independence.
“The problem we’ve had,” Mr Wheatley stated, “Is that the politicians have been too cowardly to step forward and say let’s make this an issue where we educate people and put it on a campaign platform.”
He sought to explain this cowardice as politicians being afraid of not getting re-elected if they were to do so.
The VI is currently engaged in celebrating the 71st Emancipation Festival under the theme ‘Embrace the Past, Let Unity Thrive, as we Celebrate Emancipation Festival 2025’.
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20 Responses to “Politicians 'too cowardly' when it comes to self-determination- E. Benito Wheatley”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61266526
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-british-virgin-islands-premier-sentenced-prison-conspiring-import-cocaine
If that is not Coloniialism in new clothes.
These guys are desperate keep control of the VI people.
We need a new envoy that's special.
People have seen and heard what the current crop of politicians is up to, which is why they don't want independence now. No amount of education will change the underlying facts.
CARICOM,not so at all.
wa about the people? everything is politicians and other carribean countries and EU speaking for us... people got no voice?
if them afraid fr them know y cuz we the people dont trust them and dont want that! and we the people can see the current state of the bvi and its no where close to be a self determined country
Confused as to his purpose, other than pomp at every possible social event.
Surely there is some actual value?
Asking for the taxpayers.