SNBF fears Domincano ‘revolt,’
warns islanders will get violent
PHILIPSBURG--Declare Dominican Republic Consul Doris Elsa Vasquez Martinez “persona non grata” for inciting a revolt of her countrymen and -women who reside here, or face possible violence from St. Maarteners who are fed up with being marginalised in their home, was the strong warning issued to Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards by Head of St. Maarten Nation Building Foundation (SNBF) Leopold James on Wednesday.
James, along with concerned citizens Alvin York, Joan Verwoord and Christopher Emmanuel, presented the petition in response to Vasquez Martinez’s “interference in internal political affairs in St. Maarten and her complete disdain for the people and the law of the land.”
Accepting the petition, Richards said it was the democratic right of every citizen to express concern. He assured the group that the petition would be forwarded to the proper authorities.
James told Richards that Vasquez Martinez’s remarks on a recent radio show had been “very arrogant, insulting, unbecoming of a consul. They were derogatory of the St. Maarten government and its people and many felt that the consul was inciting Dominicanos to form their own political party, as based on their numbers they had the power to do so and to set up their own Government.”
Further, “If it is not clear to those in authority that St. Maarteners cannot take this situation much longer, the island is dead-set on a collision course. Of course, we can blame the messengers for what everybody sees and knows, but that will not take away the message itself: enough is enough.”
The thrust for the petition to Richards urging immediate action was prompted by calls to SNBF/L’Esprit de Concordia radio show last week for action from the authorities. Many angry St. Maarteners expressed disgust on the radio about Vasquez-Martinez’s conduct. “[The] statements clearly have touched a very raw nerve and opened a ‘Pandora’s box’ on the island, where it comes to the impact of too many illegal residents,” James said.
He added that during the programme, one caller had proposed the signature-drive to have the consul declared persona non grata, while another had questioned what SNBF would do about the situation. “This and the many other reactions later, together with the concern of an eventual revolt on the island, were for us reasons enough to take this initiative.”
The foundation had stated in an earlier press release that many people were “extremely upset” by the “lack of action” from Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards’ Office “against the insulting and instigating remarks made by the consul, because it clouds the authority of the Governor as highest body supervision on the island of St. Maarten.”
