A prominent civil society group in Antigua and Barbuda is drawing a clear line in the sand over proposed changes to Barbuda’s longstanding land framework, insisting that no major alteration to the island’s land ownership rules, governing structure or long-term development strategies can move forward without the free, informed and uncoerced consent of Barbudan residents. The Antigua and Barbuda Civil Liberties Movement has raised sharp alarms about ongoing pushes to expand freehold private land ownership and usher in large-scale high-end real estate development across the Caribbean island, arguing that the proposed shifts touch on fundamental constitutional rights, the future of local self-governance and the core principles of democratic participation for the island’s population. In an official public statement, the organization anchored its position in the country’s founding legal document, pointing specifically to Section 123(1) of Antigua and Barbuda’s Constitution. This provision formally designates the Barbuda Council as the primary institution of local self-governance for the island, and the group maintains that both the council and the community it represents deserve full, meaningful consultation before any decisions that reshape Barbuda’s lands, natural resources and long-term trajectory are finalized. The movement emphasized the deep historical value of Barbuda’s communal land tenure system, noting that for generations this structure has shielded local residents from predatory land speculation, prevented the dangerous concentration of land ownership in the hands of a small elite, and guaranteed that future generations of Barbudans will retain access to land on their native island. The group has issued a formal call to the national government, urging officials to honor the constitutionally enshrined role of the Barbuda Council and ensure that all proposals related to land ownership, land management and infrastructure or residential development are carried out with complete transparency and full, inclusive public participation from the Barbudan community. Crucially, the organization clarified that it does not oppose all new development or foreign investment on the island. Instead, it maintains that responsible economic growth and incoming investment can coexist with full respect for Barbuda’s traditional communal land tenure system and its locally rooted democratic institutions.
Civil Liberties Group Says Barbudans Must Approve Major Changes to Land Ownership
