THE MEANING OF INDEDPENDENCE
Down in St Lucia, the struggle for the deeper relationship of the dependent territories of Britain, the Netherlands and France, with CARICOM continued in the 51st regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, chaired by Philippe Pierre, Prime Minister of St Lucia from 4 to 8th July 2026. There is resistance for granting full membership to Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands because they are not yet independent. The lawyers are jumping through hoops and saying that what these territories want is inconsistent with the provisions of the treaty, its meaning and intent. Lawyers of course can write anything you ask them to write and interpret how they want or you direct them so you should not depend on them for an opinion on what is a political decision. The CARICOM countries independent as they are have an obligation to move the independence project along, and deepening the relationship with CARICOM for full membership for those three territories is the next step in the process. It should be done without regard to sophistry and artificial constructs and hindrances.