CARIBBEAN CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMS AND THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"We who Labor here seek only the Truth, " is posted behind the judicial bench in many of the courtrooms here in Miami-Dade County, and it came to mind when my recent article, covering a number of the infrastructure projects completed with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) funding, created a firestorm of controversy, from readers who wondered whether I had abandoned my two decade opposition to the money laundering, fraud and corruption that has long been associated with the administration of such programs in the five Eastern Caribbean states that have offer Economic Citizenship; That is simply not true.

To be blunt, my sometimes scathing exposure of financial crime in CBI programs will continue, but as I am a proponent of also complete disclosure of the truth, even when it might meet with disapproval in some quarterers, I chose to name the CBI projects in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Please do not ignore those achievements because the administrators of the program have allegedly been linked to corruption and financial crime. The statements appearing in the pro-investment migration press, to the effect that I am supporting those leaders, is not correct. In truth and in fact, I continue to be an advocate for a replacement of the corrupt Dominica Labour Party, as the achievements I have detailed have been accomplished despite the party's illegal diversion of CBI revenue, and other financial crimes, which is another truth.

Also, Dominica frankly sits alone as the Caribbean CBI state with a substantial number of completed projects; I have found that Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda have few concrete results to show for all the millions of US Dollars that have found their way into government accounts; do not lump me into the category of those who are cheerleaders for those programs, which I have condemned, and will continue to call out as having failed in their obligations to fulfill the stated original program goals.

Given that the European Union policy on shutting the door to CBI in 2028, if there is a chance for the benefits of the Dominica program to continue, perhaps a transition to Residency by Investment (RBI) program could allow infrastructure projects to continue. As the EU allows RBI among its Member states, it might be the solution to the region's problem, regarding a substitute for much-needed government revenue. Whether this will come to pass, we cannot say, but the people of the Eastern Caribbean states must have financial security, and we trust that it can be found, in the short term. There can be no debate over whether that statement is absolutely true.