Saint Lucia keeps asking whether colonialism could ever return.
The uncomfortable truth?
It already has — just not in the way our grandparents remember.
There are no British gunboats in the harbour.
No governors issuing commands.
No plantations owned outright by foreigners.
No flags are being lowered or raised.
Today’s colonialism is polite.
It smiles.
It shakes hands.
It arrives with memorandums of understanding and investment agreements.
It speaks the language of “development”, “foreign direct investment”, and “global partnership.”
But make no mistake — the power dynamics are back.
And Saint Lucia, whether we admit it or not, has become a soft target.
THE FIRST WARNING SIGN: ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY
Our supermarkets are foreign-owned.
Our imports outnumber our exports 10 to 1.
Our food, fuel, medicine, vehicles, and appliances all come from outside.
When a country depends on others for its survival, it becomes negotiable.
Not by force — but by need.
Dependency is the new colonial chain.
THE SECOND WARNING SIGN: TOURISM AS A POWER BROKER
Tourism blesses us, but it also binds us.
Look at the ownership structure:
- foreign hotel groups
- foreign airlines
- foreign booking platforms
- foreign tour wholesalers
When one sector dominates the economy — and that sector is controlled abroad — the nation becomes vulnerable.
One travel advisory can break a season.
One foreign economic slowdown can collapse revenue.
One global power can shape how we behave diplomatically.
That is not independence.
That is exposure.
THE THIRD WARNING SIGN: THE NEW ‘GOVERNORS’ — INTERNATIONAL CREDITORS
Colonial governors no longer come by sea.
Today, they come by email.
They sit in offices in Washington, Brussels, or Beijing.
And they do not rule by decree — they rule by conditions.
Every large loan has strings.
Some are visible.
Some are implied.
All reshape national choices.
You don’t need to conquer a country if you can influence its budget.
THE FOURTH WARNING SIGN: THE RACE FOR GEOPOLITICAL LOYALTY
Saint Lucia is caught between:
- the U.S. spheres of influence
- China’s financial reach
- the EU’s regulatory pressure
- global agendas on visas, security, and compliance
We are no longer a colony, but we sit in the middle of competing empires.
And when elephants dance, small islands must watch their feet.
THE FIFTH WARNING SIGN: THE NEW POWER OVER INFORMATION
Every major system — banking, telecoms, passports, health records, government email — is tied to foreign technology.
Our data lives abroad.
Our cybersecurity depends on others.
Our systems can be pressured by external powers.
In the 1800s, power came from land.
In the 2000s, power comes from data.
And right now, we do not own ours.
THE SIXTH WARNING SIGN: BRAIN DRAIN
When the most talented Saint Lucians leave — engineers, doctors, policy experts, scientists — the nation loses its shield.
And without strong local expertise, governments end up relying on foreign consultants for:
- policy writing
- infrastructure planning
- contract evaluation
- economic modeling
Which means we are literally outsourcing our decision-making power.
That is modern colonialism at its purest.
SO, IS COLONIAL POWER RETURNING?
Not with muskets or monarchs.
Not with ships or soldiers.
But with:
- financial leverage
- geopolitical alignment
- dependency-based economics
- information dominance
- consultant-driven policymaking
The names have changed.
The mechanisms have changed.
But the effect is hauntingly familiar.
Saint Lucia is becoming shaped from outside — quietly, politely, professionally.
THE QUESTION WE MUST NOW ASK
Who truly benefits from Saint Lucia’s development model —
Saint Lucians, or the powers behind the curtain?
If we want real sovereignty, we must:
- build local expertise
- diversify the economy
- strengthen public institutions
- invest in local ownership
- reduce dependency
- demand accountability from every administration
Otherwise, we will continue drifting back into the arms of colonial power — not because we’re forced, but because we’re unprepared.
Saint Lucia must wake up.
The world is changing fast.
And small nations do not get second chances.