Guardian article misrepresented the BVI people
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley. Photos by Andre ‘Shadow’ Dawson/BVI News
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has strongly condemned a recent article by The Guardian that painted a largely negative picture of the BVI, accusing the UK-based outlet of publishing a “very imbalanced, salacious and insulting” portrayal of the Virgin Islands and its people.
Speaking at a press conference last week, Premier Wheatley said the article carried a demeaning narrative that unfairly painted the territory as corrupt and dysfunctional.
“I don’t think anyone who reads that article would recognise the Virgin Islands I know,” Dr Wheatley said. “It is not representative of reality in the least bit.”
The Guardian piece revisited the fallout from former Premier Andrew Fahie’s 2022 arrest and subsequent conviction in the United States on drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy charges. The article featured past high-ranking officials, including a former police Commissioner and Governor. Premier Wheatley said assertions made in the article were presented without proper context and knowledge of the BVI.
He also addressed claims raised in the article regarding tensions between former political leaders and law enforcement, including assertions that Fahie once asked the Commissioner of Police to arrest the Governor. Dr Wheatley said he had no knowledge of such an incident and criticised the inclusion of what he described as sensational allegations without proper verification or rebuttal.
The Premier also pointed to recent developments in governance as evidence that the territory has made meaningful progress since the Commission of Inquiry, including the UK government’s decision not to impose direct rule and to instead continue working with elected leaders.
“They were not going to revoke the Order in Council unless substantial work had been done in the Virgin Islands to strengthen our institutions,” Dr Wheatley said, referring to recent statements by UK officials.
The Premier also rejected what he suggested were thinly veiled cultural and racial undertones in how the territory was described, saying the article failed to reflect the lived reality of the kind and friendly nature of the Virgin Islands people.
“We just celebrated 75 years of our legislature,” he said. “Over that time, there are many wonderful stories about who we are. The people of the Virgin Islands, by nature, are good, decent people, and we don’t deserve to be described in those terms.”
As an example of the warmth Virgin Islanders display, the Premier referred to former Police Commissioner Michael Matthews, whom he described as a close friend, who chose to remain in the Virgin Islands and make it his home after completing his tenure.
“People come here, live among us, and many choose to stay because they love it here so much,” the Premier said. “If it were as bad as that article suggests, they wouldn’t.”
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Is the Virgin Islands are not corrupt and dysfunctional why:
– Do you not have audited government accounts for the last 10+ years
– Why are we running a budget deficit & contracts are manipulated
– Why are the roads a disaster
– Why is there sewerage in the streets
– Why do we have gun crime related to narco activites
– Why was the Premier able to sell out the entire country without anyone stopping him in the BVI
– Why are the pictures still up of the Narco Premier of the Virgin Islands?
LATHER-RINSE-REPEAT
This cl**n really has no shame or idea for that matter. Fat Albert was caught, tried and sentenced, what is incorrect about that?
The article was factually accurate and true, what a pity our Premier didn’t take the opportunity to denounce the previous Premier and his crimes. That is what the issue really is, BVIslanders are honest, decent and hardworking, Andrew was none of these, and instead of bashing the UK again how about making a clear statement on the man and his crimes which destroyed the BVI reputation.
““I don’t think anyone who reads that article would recognise the Virgin Islands I know,” Dr Wheatley said. “It is not representative of reality in the least bit.””
Yeah, that’s because the Virgin Islands you know is any excuse for first class travel far and wide on the taxpayers’ dime, no matter how obscure and insignificant the venue or the event.
The other VI you know is a $5M deposit into an obviously failing Bank of Asia, but since then nothing but silence other than “we are doing an audit,” when (as I’ve repeatedly said before, an audit is a forensic tool, whereas getting to the bottom of what person(s) initiated and approved the deposit(s) is a simple bookkeeping endeavour that would take less than a day to ferret out).
The additional VI you know is a government that initially allocated approximately $11.7 million for a new salary structure for public officers, based on estimates from a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) consultant’s report, whereas it was determined after a subsequent analysis by the Ministry of Finance in April 2024, that the actual cost for existing officers’ salaries was over $25 million, creating a shortfall of around $13.3 million, with the total year-end error estimated at closer to $20 million.
And as a BTW, the same person who was (and is now) at the helm as the Secretary of Finance is pounding the table for the Beef Island Airport expansion project, with its still-secret “Business Case” being witheld from those who will bear the costs of it.
Why do the people of this Territory continue to elect people like this?
Because they don’t care about the country. If they did they wouldn’t vote the way they do.
They voted for kickbacks and freebies while keeping better persons out of HOA.
But I am glad they not getting any kickbacks and they have to watch them eat eat steak and collect big payouts and pensions while they cant even cook some corn-beef and rice.
I glad for all who vote VIP and corner lady.
I actually thought it was quite flattering; there was loads missed out like all the targeted shootings and the armed robberies by teenagers.
Imagine if they’d seen the films of the Fish Bay shooting or the robbery of the jewellers in Flemming Street, on top of the CoI and Fahie’s indiscretions!
Truth is often uncomfortable, but discomfort is not the same as harm. When we take the time to listen to difficult truths, we create space to improve in every sense.
This article does not erase or deny the work the current BVI leadership has done to adjust, reform, and improve. It highlights a period where a few individuals and their actions damaged our institutions, a reality we already confronted and began correcting.
A society that avoids truth cannot govern itself well, no matter who is in charge. That was our truth, and accepting it collectively is what allowed us to course-correct.
Every nation, globally, falls short at some point. What defines us is not the failure, but our willingness to stand back up, learn from it, and strengthen our position for the next challenge.
Every commenter should leave the BVI immediately! These Virgin Islands is still one of the best places in the world to live. We have challenges like anywhere else even the great UK where Scotland and Wales wants to pull away from England. Where corruption runs rampant tothe point they cant even keep a Prime Minister longer than 2 years. These Virgin Islands continues to be a paradise. We are a super friendly people. Our crime rate is among the lowest in the world. Our familial bonds are our strength and pride.
We all know that the Guardian is a tabloid publication. Everyone in England only reads it because of its sensationalism. The Guardian is not taken seriously by most people. These Virgin Islands have taken great strides to come out from under the shadow of what the Head Coach did to us. Natalio is making a ton of mistakes himself but I can give him credit for somewhat steadying the ship. His hiccups are to be expected from a young leader. He now only needs to learn to listen, especially to naysayers, in order to choose the best path forward, not only his yes-men and women and his VIP members. Once he learns this, then he will be a better Premier. And I am not a big fan of his and these fruitless parties he keeps supporting.
But that article from the Guardian is not true journalism and is not accurate of who we are. And all of the posters on here should leave the BVI immediately as you have no good intention for our small nation.
The BVI is the worst but when they come here they don’t go back to the UK.
This is the problem. Yes, I agree it was a hit piece, but such is life, this is how those journalists operate, get over it. What bothers me is that we always focus on stupid optics. Of course a lot of the stuff in there were over the top or flat out lies but does that take away from the fact that the BVI looks, feels and smells like S**T?? The place is dirty, nasty, falling apart and you are busy whining about a f**king article. CLEAN UP AND FIX UP THE PLACE! DEAL WITH THE PRESSING ISSUES!
The truth does not offend truthful men.
I read the article. That claim came from the governor himself, so I would think it is fairly credible.
My biggest issue is that 90% of it had already been reported on.
2024 – ••• PAT AND WHAT OTHER NAMES YOU USE , ITS STILL YOU ” JUDGE WIGGIE (AKA ) JUDAS , YOU ALWAYS SPEWING OUT SOME KIND OF RACIST NARRATIVES EVERYDAY , YOU KKOW WHATS GOING IN IN ENGLAND , BUT WHERE YOU LIVE YOU ALWAYS GOT AN EXCUSE , AND ALWAYS EMBELISILING THE “SH*TTYNESS ” WHENEVER ITS BROUGHT TO LIGHT, LIKE THE “,POPULAR “BUSINESS MAN , IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE ■ ) YOU NEED PAYERS
Don’t complain about a picture go and take it down if you don’t want to see it up,
Bingo ! Right on the mark
He’s confusing the people with the government