Barbuda People’s Movement Trevor Walker has declared that Barbuda will not support the sale of its lands, reaffirming a long-standing position that development must continue under a leasehold system to protect future generations.
Addressing a Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) rally this week, Walker said land remains the island’s most valuable asset and warned against any shift toward freehold ownership.
“Barbuda lands is the only thing that we have,” Walker told supporters, adding that his party is “totally against the sale of land and this party will never agree for lands to be sold.”
Walker argued that the existing leasehold model allows development while preserving communal ownership, noting that land can be leased for decades but remains under the control of Barbudans.
“In the past every single development… [was] done on a leasehold basis,” he said. “When your children come, they can review that lease — it’s not sold.”
He warned that selling land outright would strip future generations of control over Barbuda’s resources, describing land as both “power and wealth” that must be safeguarded.
The BPM leader also pointed to rising land values as evidence of what is at stake, citing a recent inquiry involving a 20-acre parcel reportedly valued at $33 million.
“So when we sit down and make jokes and believe that all is well, all is not well,” Walker said, urging residents to remain vigilant about how land is managed.
Barbuda’s land tenure system has long been a defining political issue, with debates over ownership, development and control shaping elections and legal battles on the island.
Walker framed the April 30 general election as critical to preserving that system, urging voters to back the BPM to ensure that land remains collectively held.
“We’re not going to allow anybody to gamble with the lands of Barbuda,” he said.
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