Longstanding calls for political and administrative separation between Barbuda and its larger neighboring island Antigua have gained fresh momentum, as local political figure Trevor Walker has reignited the debate with his uncompromising slogan “Leave Barbuda Alone”.
Barbuda, the smaller of the two islands that make up the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, has for decades grappled with unique challenges that residents argue are consistently overlooked by the national government centered in Antigua. These grievances range from unequal resource allocation and slow post-disaster recovery to limited local decision-making power over the island’s land and development projects.
Walker, a prominent voice for Barbuda’s autonomous movement, has reaffirmed his campaign for separation in recent public comments, doubling down on demands that the island be granted full autonomy to manage its own internal affairs. “Leave Barbuda Alone” has emerged as the core mantra of his renewed movement, encapsulating the frustration many Barbudans feel over outside interference in their island’s social, economic, and environmental future. The issue gained heightened attention after the 2017 Hurricane Irma, which destroyed most of Barbuda’s infrastructure and displaced nearly all of its 1,800 residents. Critics of the central government say the national response to the disaster was slow and inadequate, and that reconstruction efforts have prioritized outside commercial interests over the needs of local Barbudan communities.
Walker’s renewed push has reignited national discussion about the constitutional future of the twin-island nation, with supporters of autonomy arguing that separation would allow Barbuda to craft policies tailored to its small population and unique economic base, which relies heavily on artisanal fishing, ecotourism, and sustainable land management. Opponents of the split counter that a divided Antigua and Barbuda would be too economically vulnerable to remain viable on the global stage, and that greater devolution of power rather than full separation is the more practical path forward. For now, the “Leave Barbuda Alone” movement continues to galvanize local support, putting the long-simmering issue of Barbuda’s self-determination back on the national political agenda.