KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC)– The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has acquired Balliceaux, the 320-acre Grenadine island to which thousands of Garifuna — indigenous Vincentians — were taken and where about half of them died in the late 17th century after the death of Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer.

Prime Minister of St Vincenet and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves made the announcement to Parliament on Thursday, one year after he announced that his government was moving to purchase or acquire the island.

“The Government of St Vincent and Grenadines, given the historic importance of Balliceaux, has taken the decision to acquire Balliceaux,” Gonsalves told lawmakers.

“Those who can show proper title to Balliceaux, we will, of course, in pursuance of the Constitution and the law, provide fair compensation within a reasonable time.”

He said that the first publication of the acquisition was made in the Gazette on February 25, before the second publication on Wednesday.

“So, as of yesterday, Balliceaux is part of the patrimony of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Gonsalves said and went on to read the declaration.

“… all the portion of land situated at Balliceaux in the parish of the Grenadines, in the state of St Vincent and the Grenadines belonging to whom it may concern admeasuring approximately 323 acres, together with all ways and water courses, rights, lights, liberties, privileges, paths, easements and all appurtenances there on shall vest absolutely in the Crown,” the prime minister said, in part.

In January 2024, Gonsalves said he had asked the chief surveyor to have a valuation done for the island, which was privately owned.

He said the government was hoping to purchase if it could reach an agreement with the owners, “but if we can’t have an agreement to invoke the law in relation to acquisition.

“Of course, you’d have to be fair and reasonable compensation. If we can’t agree, we’ll have to go to a tribunal under the law. I spoke to the lawyer for those who have acknowledged that they have title to the land,” Gonsalves had said then.

He had said that the government wanted to complete the purchase or acquisition before March 14, 2024 — National Heroes’ Day.

The government, however, missed that deadline and Gonsalves said “the discussions and the requisites in relation to those discussions” had been taking a little longer than he would have wished.

He said he had given instructions for the attorney general to double-check the title, which had been done before.

“But if you want — if you’re doing a transaction, you check the title upon, again, entering the transaction, because anything could have happened from the last time you checked to now,” he had said.

“Somebody might have taken a mortgage, somebody — something. So, we have to be clear. So that work has been done. And I think in the schedule of the Office of the Chief Surveyor and the other government values, they didn’t get to Balliceaux as quickly as they had anticipated,” the prime minister said.