The year 2019 kicked off on a devastating note, especially for residents of Rose Hill, Castries. A New Year’s Eve fire wiped out seven homes in the close-knit community. “The fire took all my tools,” said 65-year-old victim Omer St. Rose, whose family owned three of the destroyed houses. “All my clothes, everything—even my dentures, both up and down. All of that burn. All I saved were the clothes I had on: a T-shirt and boxers.” Shortly after the incident, a committee was formed to aid the twenty-one affected individuals. One year later, none of the homes has been rebuilt and the families are still appealing for donations.
Also in January Saint Lucia was thrust into the international headlines when the bloody, lifeless body of Englishman and longtime resident Robert Hathaway was discovered in bed at his Piat residence. Hathaway’s gruesome murder garnered much media attention with one UK online publication observing: “Such violence would have horrified Saint Lucia’s rich visitors, but will have come as no surprise to those who live there. Away from the spotless beaches and infinity pools, the island is gripped by a violent crime epidemic rooted in drugs and gang culture.” (On November 4, 22-year-old Elizabeth Volney was charged with Hathaway’s murder.)
Parliament building was especially buzzing with activity on January 29 as supporters of the island’s political parties turned out in full force to witness firsthand the outcome of the historic and highly controversial no-confidence motion by opposition leader Philip J. Pierre against Prime Minister Allen Chastanet. Government MPs argued that the motion was unconstitutional by virtue of Section 60 of the Constitution. Speaker Andy Daniel disagreed. After several hours of debate the motion predictably failed. The opposition leader exited the building even before the Speaker had officially declared, for a change, “the no’s have it.”
There was more fire-related news on March 13 when firefighters announced they were on strike. The chairman of the Saint Lucia Fire Service Association, Shane Felix, said members were reacting to the refusal of successive administrations to resolve their complaints. Following meetings with Labour Minister Stephenson King and National Security Minister Hermangild Francis, the strike ended on March 25.
In April the Allen Chastanet government said farewell to another senator. Following highly publicized telephone conversations between a Trinidadian woman and the senator, Ubaldus Raymond—who held responsibility for the Public Service —resigned. (In 2018 Raymond had been at the centre of another scandal, this time involving two young women he claimed had tried to extort money from him. The matter ended through mediation.) On April 25, while on administrative leave, Raymond appeared as a guest on Rick Wayne’s TALK show. He stated then that from day one, and despite his poor judgment in some private matters, he had dedicated himself to serving his country well. On August 5 the prime minister announced: “Dr. Raymond has talent. He made an impact in my government and I was very happy with the work he was doing. I would certainly like to be able to use him, if not in my Cabinet, then somewhere else.” To date that has not happened!
On May 22, 17-year-old Arnold Joseph, one of three aboard what was officially referred to as a “suspicious vehicle,” was fatally shot by officers. In a press statement, the police said they opened fire on the “suspicious vehicle” after its driver refused to stop on command. Another male was also shot but survived. Police initially claimed they had recovered a 9mm firearm “from the individuals,” then later adjusted their statement to say the firearm was found “en route” to where the incident occurred. The driver of the vehicle was in June charged with traffic violations. So far there has been no further word regarding the 9mm firearm. Meanwhile, Joseph’s devastated relatives are proceeding with a civil lawsuit against the police. Joseph was a fifth-form student of Entrepot Secondary School and was in the process of concluding his CXC examinations. The vice principal of his school described Arnold as a good student, always well behaved and willing to help teachers and fellow classmates.
July saw the announcement by British airline Virgin Atlantic that from June 8, 2020, its flights from London to Saint Lucia would cease. The government explained that the company had demanded an EC$20 million subsidy over a three-year period to continue the route. Addressing reporters on August 5, Prime Minister Chastanet stated: “Virgin Atlantic has made a significant contribution to the development of this country, and for that I am extremely grateful. But the airline has made a business proposal to Saint Lucia, and Saint Lucia has taken a business approach in our response.” On August 22, government announced that two additional British Airways (BA) flights had been secured, which meant 600 additional seats. This is scheduled to begin on July 4, 2020 and end on August 29, 2020.
Hundreds of city residents and visitors showed up in William Peter Boulevard on November 21 to watch the historic Adjodha building going up in flames. Acting chief fire officer George Victorin later confirmed before media reporters that the firefighters had confronted several challenges but were nevertheless able to stop the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. The Adjodha building once housed a cinema and a nightclub. At the time of the fire the Voyager store and other businesses operated under its roof. Economic Development Minister Guy Joseph congratulated the firefighters on a job well done.
The death of Shem Siniase at the Laborie Police Station on December 7 sent shockwaves throughout the community. Two days later the police disclosed that the 34-year-old man had been arrested on December 5 and then, on December 7, charged with causing harm and stealing. The police said that, at one point, Sinaise asked to use the bathroom. When an officer went to check up on him minutes later, he reportedly discovered Sinaise’s body hanging from a window. He had used “a cord from his clothing” to commit suicide.
The year came to an end with a surprising twist in the Kimberly De Leon homicide. The mother of two was fatally shot in her home on October 29, 2018, with no arrests to date. Last month the deceased’s husband, police officer Leozandrae De Leon, filed defamation lawsuits against the police, radio host Juk Bois and soi-disant Facebook activist Venus Cherry. De Leon is also fighting for custody of his two kids, currently living with their maternal grandmother Mary Williams who is determined to “get justice for my daughter Kimberly.”
