St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ government is eyeing the purchase of Baliceaux Island, priced at $30 million.
This untouched island is significant for its history with the Garifuna people, descendants of African and Carib natives.
They were forcibly taken there, never reaching their intended destination of Roatán, Honduras.
Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister, has initiated a valuation of the island. He aims to negotiate a purchase. If talks fail, the government will resort to legal acquisition.
They also plan to develop the island, benefiting its 109,000 citizens. Gonsalves hopes to finalize this acquisition by March 14, 2024.
This date is important as it commemorates National Heroes Day and honors Joseph Chatoyer, a Garifuna leader who resisted British colonization.
The Grenadines Collection lists this 320-acre island, near Bequia, for sale. Nvest Estates suggests its potential as a luxury resort.
However, Garifuna leader Cynthia Ellis-Topsey finds the sale proposal disrespectful to their heritage.
In 1796, the British overpowered the Garifuna, exiling them to Baliceaux from St. Vincent.
Baliceaux’s Painful Legacy
According to Belizean historian Wellington C. Ramos, many faced brutality and death there. Of the 5,000 Garifunas sent to Baliceaux, only half survived.
The British later relocated these survivors to Roatán on April 12, 1797, where they were renamed, losing their ancestral identity.
This background renders Baliceaux a vital cultural site for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as it reflects a painful part of their history.
Ramos urges more action against Britain and France for their roles in this tragedy.
Presently, Baliceaux is a sacred site for the Garifuna, who annually honor their ancestors there on March 14.
Honduran Garifuna activist Miriam Miranda appreciates Gonsalves’s intent to buy the island and supports its designation as a historical monument.
In short, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports over 600,000 Garifunas in Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and the USA.