ST. JOHN, Antigua, – As tensions mount over ancestral land rights in Barbuda, the Gaston Browne administration has deployed riot police to the sister island, escalating a confrontation over plans to construct luxury developments on communally-held territory.
The move comes as local officials blocked construction equipment intended to begin work on a project featuring 200 luxury homes and a mall at Louie Hill.
Leading opposition figure Jamale Pringle of the United Progressive Party (UPP) has condemned the show of force, invoking the adage “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” The UPP is calling for immediate withdrawal of the riot squad and urges dialogue with Barbudans rather than confrontation.
The dispute stems from centuries-old practices of communal land ownership, established by descendants of enslaved people and later formalized in the 2007 Barbuda Land Act. This traditional system now faces unprecedented challenges from the central government’s privatization initiatives, which have attracted high-profile investors including actor Robert De Niro.
The situation intensified after the Barbuda Council, exercising its authority under the constitutionally protected Local Government Act of 1976, positioned government trucks to prevent an excavator from clearing vegetation at the construction site.
In response, the Cabinet issued warnings about the central government’s authority over crown lands, citing a recent Privy Council ruling that controversially designated Barbudans as “tenants of the Crown” rather than rightful owners of their ancestral territory.
A June 2022 ruling by London’s Privy Council has dramatically raised the stakes. By denying Barbudans’ proprietary rights over their island, the court has effectively cleared the path for luxury real estate developers to advance their plans.
The ruling, addressing the Paradise Found Act 2015, controversially designated Barbudans as mere “tenants of the Crown,” dismissing their centuries-long practice of collective land management in favor of a colonial interpretation of property rights.
The Privy Council noted that Barbuda was colonised by the English in 1632 and leased to private owners for two further centuries. Thereafter, inhabitants of Barbuda – descendants of slaves – were known as “tenants of the Crown” (with the Crown as “owner of the land”).
However, the Privy Council failed to address the legally recognised land tenure system on the island. It found that Barbudans’ land rights are limited to a right to apply for a grant of exclusive occupation or for grazing animals; whereas only exclusive proprietary rights and the rights of the Crown are protected under the Constitution.
Islanders fear this could spell disaster for their way of life and the pristine ecology of the island which has been protected from the destructive impact of mass tourism.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Browne remains resolute in his development agenda. “As Barbuda is brought into the economy of Antigua and Barbuda in a meaningful way, resistance by those who wish to stand in the way of progress cannot be tolerated,” he stated.
His administration maintains that the development plans will improve housing and ensure legal land ownership for residents and qualified citizens.
The UPP has pledged support to the Barbuda Council and its people, arguing that the government’s duty to protect citizens’ rights should take precedence over both ministerial ambitions and investor interests.
“No good – locally or internationally – can come from a situation in which a government declares war on its own people,” the party warned, calling for an immediate shift from confrontation to conversation.
Meanwhile, Barbudans continue their unprecedented battle against both their government and billionaire developers, defending a land management system that has defined their community for generations since emancipation.
The dispute represents a critical juncture between traditional communal rights and modern development aspirations in the Caribbean nation.
The following is the full text of the UPP Statement:
UPP calls for ‘conversation and not confrontation’ on Barbuda
The United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling on the Gaston Browne Administration to
make every effort to de-escalate the current situation on Barbuda by calling off the Riot
Squad that was deployed to the sister-island yesterday, January 24.
“There never was a good war or a bad peace,” reminds Political Leader Jamale Pringle.
Now, more than ever, Pringle says,
“dialogue with the Barbudans and sensitivity to their
feelings and their lifestyle are needed, instead of a show of force.”
It appears to the UPP that the Administration is intent on ignoring not only the wishes of
the people but the lawful authority of the Barbuda Council to administer the island.
Government has an overarching obligation to protect the rights of citizens and residents –
above the personal ambitions of its ministers and the business interests of investors.
Therefore, it cannot be right for the Browne Administration to arbitrarily displace
Barbudans – and, especially, to bulldoze their farmlands – to create a housing project that
brings no benefit to them.
Accordingly, we call on Prime Minister Browne and Public Safety Minister Steadroy “Cutie”
Benjamin to stop the aggression that now threatens the lives and livelihood of our
Barbudan brothers and sisters and to respect their human rights and traditions.
No good – locally or internationally – can come from a situation in which a government
declares war on its own people. Stop the confrontation and start a conversation now.
In the meantime, the UPP stands with the Barbuda Council and the People of Barbuda in
defense of their land rights and traditions, as was codified in the Barbuda Land Act, 2007,
and it calls on all patriotic Antiguans to do the same. WiredJA
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