The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.
By Kenneil Bess
Our Citizenship Is Not for Sale: Why I Stand Against CBI
Fellow Vincentians, wake up!
The soul of our nation is under threat—not by foreign invaders, but by an idea that seeks to put a price tag on our identity. I am here to declare, without apology or hesitation, that Citizenship by Investment—CBI—is a danger to our people, our sovereignty, and our future. It must be rejected.
Our citizenship is not a product to be sold to the highest bidder. It is a birthright. It is sacred. It was earned through the sweat of our ancestors, the struggles of our parents, and the pride we carry in our hearts today. To sell it is to betray everything we stand for.
They will tell you it is “just business.” That it’s a “smart investment strategy.” But I tell you this: it is the beginning of the end. The end of a nation that belongs to its people. The end of a citizenship that means something real.
Our Passport Must Never Be Devalued
Our passport gives us power—freedom to move, to learn, to grow. If we allow it to be sold, that trust will be broken. Powerful countries will turn their backs, and we, the ordinary citizens, will pay the price. We will be the ones stuck in visa lines. We will be the ones who lose access to the world—not the elites who made the deal.
CBI Is a Security Threat
Every time we sell our citizenship, we open the door to strangers we know nothing about. Criminals, tax evaders, fugitives—this is not fiction. This is reality. One mistake, one bad applicant, and our country could be blacklisted, isolated, and punished. Can we afford that? No. And we must never take that risk.
It’s a Shaky and Dangerous Economic Plan
You cannot build a stable nation on quick cash. What happens when demand drops? When the laws change? When no one wants to buy anymore? We will be left with nothing—no buyers, no plan, and no future. That is not leadership. That is laziness disguised as strategy.
CBI Will Breed Corruption
Let’s not lie to ourselves—CBI is fertile ground for corruption. Deals made in the dark, money flowing where it shouldn’t, accountability lost in bureaucracy. Who wins in that system? Not the people. Not the youth. Not the poor. Only the few at the top who know how to manipulate the game.
It Divides Us
CBI does more than damage our economy and reputation—it damages our unity. It creates a new elite class, people who buy what the rest of us were born into. People who claim Vincentian citizenship but will never walk our streets, feel our struggles, or care about our people. That is not equality. That is injustice.
This Is a Fight for Our Soul
My fellow Vincentians, this is not just a policy debate. This is a moral stand. Citizenship is not a commodity. It is not a passport with a price. It is a living bond between the land and its people. And I will not stand by while that bond is sold to the highest bidder.
We need development. We need progress. But not at the cost of our dignity. Not at the cost of our honour. We are not a people for sale. We are not desperate. We are strong, we are proud, and we are capable of rising without selling ourselves short.
Let us build our economy with courage.
Let us defend our sovereignty with conviction.
Let us declare to the world: Our citizenship is not for sale.
END
One News SVG 