Wheatley Praises Regional Support and Says BVI
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has credited CARICOM and OECS leaders with crucial diplomatic support after the 2022 Commission of Inquiry report, saying their intervention helped preserve the BVI’s elected government. Speaking at Diplomatic Week 2025, he also stressed that the BVI "punches above its weight," noting leadership roles in regional bodies and ongoing international engagement despite criticism of overseas travel.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has publicly thanked Caribbean leaders for their intervention following the 2022 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report, saying regional solidarity was instrumental in preserving the British Virgin Islands’ elected government. The COI report prompted an Order in Council in the UK Parliament that threatened to strip powers from the BVI’s elected government unless governance reforms were completed within two years.
Faced with that prospect, Dr Wheatley told BVI News that heads of government across CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) mounted powerful advocacy on the Territory’s behalf. "On the CARICOM level as well, we had some heads of government who went as far as calling the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
We had heads of government who called the Foreign Secretary; they nearly called King Charles as well," Dr Wheatley said, praising the willingness of regional leaders to step out on the BVI’s behalf. He singled out the OECS for issuing what he called a "very strong statement" in defence of the Territory, a statement that "went out internationally and it did make some waves," he added.
According to the Premier, such regional statements and direct engagement with UK officials helped create diplomatic pressure and visibility that influenced the eventual outcome. He has repeatedly credited that support as a key reason the UK allowed the BVI to retain its democratic government after the COI report and the political turbulence that followed.
Speaking at a panel during the BVI’s Diplomatic Week 2025, Dr Wheatley expanded on the Territory's broader diplomatic efforts, saying the BVI "punches above its weight" on the global stage. He told delegates the Territory currently serves as Vice Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) and is also vice chair of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), roles he described as "an enormous accomplishment for a territory of 30,000 people" (BVI News).
The Premier said these positions show the BVI is being heard in decision-making rooms that matter, noting past and planned high-level engagements such as his trip to Dubai where he was met by a member of a royal family, meetings with top officials in China, and an expected visit to India next year.
He argued these contacts advance BVI interests on issues like climate change, financial services, and self-determination. Dr Wheatley also addressed domestic criticism of frequent overseas travel and its costs, saying critics underestimate the value of consistent presence and relationship-building. "If you only show up at the meetings when you need something, persons are not going to take you seriously," he told BVI News, urging persistent participation in regional bodies so partners will stand by the Territory when needed.
For residents, the Premier’s remarks underline a practical lesson: active engagement in CARICOM, OECS and multilateral forums is both a strategic necessity and a form of solidarity that can be decisive during constitutional or political crises. The Premier framed the diplomatic push as proof that the BVI can protect its interests by showing up and securing allies.
Primary source: BVI News