Humans lack the capacity to see into the future. At best, we may have a little foresight which allows an occasional premonition of perceiving what may occur in the distant future. This prescience is only for certain instances. To have a comprehensive capacity to see all that will occur is the province of deities, if not the very essence of Almighty God.
Oh, what a world we would live in if political leaders could look into a crystal ball and see what will emerge! If only Governor Ricky Rossello knew that the die was cast in June 2019, as his virtual chats that degraded, insulted, and dismissed fellow Boricua were revealed. If only he knew that his private communication would also lead to a federal investigation and arrests of high ranking officials. Ricky renuncia—was the rallying slogan. Indeed, he resigned.
Here, we were shocked to see this tumboa of our brethren to the west. Earlier in June 30, 2016 PROMESA was imposed on this unincorporated territory. The Barack Obama-Joe Biden Administration had intervened with the creation of a federal fiscal control board. Political corruption, economic crises, poor pubic governance, and the negative features of American colonialism had coalesced against Puerto Rico. Many fellow Virgin Islanders were amused and shrugged off PROMESA and afterwards Ricky Rossello’s fall. Nonetheless, we have seen another neighbor falter.
To our East, our twin society, the British Virgin Islands, was shocked when then Premier Andrew Fahie and others were detained in Miami. Busted in April 2022 in a DEA sting, Fahie joined the list of British Overseas leaders arrested in office. The DEA charging document was stunning, and if the allegations are proven true, Fahie’s indictment will be devastating. None of us in the US Virgin Islands can find joy in any political scandal in our twin society. Our family ties, cultural bonds, societal links and common aspirations are too interwoven for us to ignore what has been alleged.
We closely follow the corrective measures being taken by our kin folk in the Greater Virgin Islands as we know that some political forces in London seek to suspend the BVI constitution and directly govern the Overseas Territory. Rightfully, many of us oppose British direct rule. Just as we also see PROMESA as naked colonialism. However, we must ask: who let the mongoose into the hen house? Did our neighbors stumble in good governance and allowed grotesque corruption to flourish? By doing this, did both leaders give imperialism a gift on a golden platter? We are pleased that despite their errors, Puerto Rico and BVI, will do as Peter Tosh sang--- to pick ourselves, dust ourselves off, start all over again.
It is time for us in the US Virgin Islands to do our own soul searching. Have we stepped up to create a viable Territorial Constitution? Have we improved our political culture to ensure that the most fit to lead actually serves us? Have we maximized the Federal-Territorial relationship to our benefit? Have we done all we can do to improve our Territory? Have we eradicated our corrupt practices and sought to improve good governance?
If we answer all in the negative, then perhaps we are next. In the future, we may very well wake up to a federal intervention or territorial crisis that renders us less autonomous and more dependent. We can see this coming without a crystal ball.
Malik Sekou
