There is a sickness in our country, and it is not just the poverty or unemployment or crumbling infrastructure; it is the rotting political corpse of this government that long ago sold its soul to foreign interests, while pretending to care about our people who struggle to keep our country alive.
Skerrit and his regime of thieves have once again shown their true colours: corruption, cronyism, and complete contempt for local Dominicans. This time, it is again the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), one of the “most important cultural events in our national identity,” being handed over on a silver platter to two foreign, Miami-based companies: NexConnex Ltd and Radiance Productions. The VIP Experience, a space to showcase our local talent, service providers, and vision, has now become just another offshore bank deposit for one of Skerrit’s foreign buddies.
Who Is NexConnex?
A company co-directed by Cecilia St. Hilaire, who also happens to be a well-known player in Dominica’s controversial Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program.
So, let us get this straightm someone making money selling our passports to foreigners, is now also getting money off our tax dollars, too. What a sweet deal for her, but not for us.
- Not for the young Dominican event planners who can not get a foot in the door.
- Not for the sound technicians, decorators, caterers, and security companies based right here, who have again been bypassed.
- Not for the local economy because every single dollar paid to these foreign companies is being funnelled out of Dominica and into bank accounts in Miami. It is theft in broad daylight, only it has been legalized again through government contracts and backdoor dealings.
Who Is Radilance Productions?
But again, it is just like before, another foreign business based out of Miami stepping in and taking a local contract away from a Dominican event planner or small business, while pocketing part of the \$4 million budget meant to host this event.
That money, instead of circulating within our economy and supporting our people, is now being funneled back to America, taken out of Dominica, leaving local talent and businesses pushed aside once again.
And this is not an isolated case. The Montreal-based company called MMC Development, has been gifted 23 housing development contracts. Yes, twenty-three while not a single local contractor in sight. Are you seeing the pattern?
- Dominican money. Foreign pockets.
- Dominican talent. Ignored.
- Dominican businesses. Shut out.
- Dominican people. Forgotten.
So where is the outrage? Where is the oversight? Where is the so-called watchdog of public interests?
Where Is Thomson Fontaine?
Where is Thomson Fontaine, the man who claims to care so deeply about transparency and economic integrity? His deafening silence speaks volumes. This is not just about Skerrit anymore. This rot goes deeper than one man or one party. It shows a political and institutional system built on silence, complicity, and back-scratching at the expense of our everyday Dominicans.
How can we continue to tolerate a system that sends our tax dollars overseas to enrich political friends, CBI agents, and foreign companies while telling our people there is no money for school books, roads, or medical supplies? This is not development. This is organized betrayal.
It is not just Skerrit who needs to answer for this. Every one of the 21 Members of Parlament who have sat in silence, every public official who signed off, every so-called patriot who clapped while Dominica was sold off piece by piece, they all need to be held accountable.
We must call it what it is:
- Economic colonization was aided and abetted by Dominicans in power.
- Corruption, dressed up in contracts.
- Treason against our people, wrapped in red ribbons and celebrated with press releases.
You need to understand that every dollar you spend at these events does not go toward repaying the $14 million debt tied to this festival. That money is a write-off, it is gone. There is no recouping it.
Worse yet, a major portion of every dollar you spend is leaving Dominica, funneled directly into a foreign bank account in Miami, not into the hands of our local event planners, producers, or businesses. So when we attend these events, we are not just buying a ticket, we are endorsing this government’s decision to sell-out against our local talent and local production companies for the sake of big money and foreign control.
Instead of empowering Dominicans to lead, build their businesses, and gain the skills, recognition, and experience needed to grow, we are selling out our own people, reducing them to subcontractors and underlings, used as tools and pawns to help foreign companies get richer and expand their international portfolios, securing even more global festival contracts at our expense.
All of this is happening because this government refuses to give our people the opportunity to prove themselves.
The system is not broken, it is rigged. And unless we speak up and demand better and fairness for our people, this sellout will continue ato cost us our future.
Team DRP