Choiseul On The Move

 WHEN A RANT BECOMES A THREAT: THE VIRAL VIDEO SAINT LUCIA SHOULD NOT SIMPLY LAUGH OFF

By Choiseul on the Move

By now, many Saint Lucians have probably seen or heard about the disturbing video circulating on social media.

A man, identified in media reports as a Saint Lucian who was deported from the United States, launches into an angry tirade about Saint Lucia. But this is not simply another man complaining about the country, the cost of living, unemployment or the difficulties of starting over.

The video attracted serious attention because some of his statements were interpreted as threats of violence against himself and other people.

And that is where we need to draw a line.

People are entitled to dislike Saint Lucia. They are entitled to complain about the Government, the police, the economy, the roads, the country or even their circumstances after being deported.

Freedom to express anger, however, does not mean that statements suggesting violence should simply be dismissed as "just talk."

According to reporting published on September 17, police are actively pursuing the man following circulation of the video.

There is also one very important fact that needs to be corrected.

This man was not brought into Saint Lucia under the recently discussed Third-Country Nationals programme.

Information attributed to the Ministry of External Affairs says he is Saint Lucian by birth and was deported from the United States to Saint Lucia in March 2023.

That distinction matters.

Social media moved quickly to connect his video with the controversial agreement involving third-country nationals transferred from the United States. Understandably, a frightening video appearing at a time when people are already questioning that programme creates fertile ground for rumours.

But two separate issues should not be forced together simply because doing so makes a more sensational story.

The Third-Country Nationals arrangement can and should be scrutinised on its own facts. Saint Lucians have every right to ask who is being accepted, what background checks are conducted, what safeguards exist and what happens if something goes wrong.

But this particular man should not be presented as evidence of a failure of that programme when the available information says he was deported to his own country three years ago.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION

What happens when somebody goes online and makes statements capable of putting an entire population on edge?

Saint Lucia is already experiencing considerable anxiety surrounding violent crime. People are worried about their children. Women are concerned about their safety. Families are grieving.

This is therefore hardly the environment in which threats of violence should be treated as entertainment.

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force has itself recently warned the public about irresponsible information circulating electronically. Police have also pointed to provisions of the Computer Misuse Act concerning electronic communications that are menacing in character.

Whether this particular man's statements amount to a criminal offence is a matter for investigators and, ultimately, the courts. That determination should not be made by Facebook, TikTok or Choiseul on the Move.

But police are right to take potentially credible threats seriously.

DON'T TURN THIS INTO A MANHUNT

There is another side to this which is equally important.

Saint Lucians should not attempt to find, confront or punish this man themselves.

Do not see a photograph circulating on WhatsApp and decide that you are now investigator, judge and police officer.

If somebody knows where he is and police are seeking him, give that information to the authorities.

Let law enforcement do its work.

The RSLPF has specifically cautioned the public against confronting people based upon information circulating on social media or engaging in vigilante action.

AND PERHAPS THERE IS A BIGGER LESSON

A deportee returning to Saint Lucia may arrive with almost nothing.

Some have spent years or decades abroad. Their family relationships may have changed. Employment may be difficult. They may return to a country that is legally home but feels completely unfamiliar.

Acknowledging those realities does not excuse threats.

But it raises a question worth asking:

What happens to Saint Lucian deportees after the aircraft lands?

Is there any structured reintegration process?

Is assistance available for employment, housing, documentation or counselling where appropriate?

Are individuals assessed when circumstances suggest they may pose a risk to themselves or others?

And who follows up?

Those questions deserve attention long after this particular TikTok video disappears from people's timelines.

CHOISEUL ON THE MOVE'S BOTTOM LINE

Don't exaggerate the story.

Don't attach the man to the Third-Country Nationals programme when the available evidence says otherwise.

Don't diagnose him from a TikTok video.

Don't go looking for him yourself.

But equally, don't dismiss threatening language as entertainment simply because it happened on social media.

Let the police establish the facts and determine whether an offence has been committed.

And perhaps Government should answer the broader question this episode has exposed:

When one of our own citizens is deported back to Saint Lucia, particularly after many years overseas, what system exists to reintegrate that person into society and identify serious risks before they become everybody's problem?

That, to me, is the conversation worth having.

Choiseul on the Move