SAUNDERS, St. Maarten:--- On the eve of Emancipation celebrations in Guyana, Honorary Consul to Sint Maarten, Mrs. Kim Lucas-Felix, paid a working visit to Anguilla to promote cultural exchange, trade and investment opportunities, and discuss ways to support the growing Guyanese community on the island.
The visit, which was initiated by the Chairman of the Guyanese Association of Anguilla (GAA), Mr. Carlton Pickering, provided opportunities for the Association’s executive members and the Honorary Consul to have meaningful dialogue with Anguilla’s first female Premier, the Honorable Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge; Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Ellis L. Webster; Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley; and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Attorney Tara Carter.
According to Pickering, the Consul’s visit underscored the importance of building strong relationships between Guyana and Anguilla.
“We are delighted to welcome the Guyana Consul to Anguilla. This visit marks an important step in strengthening our relations and exploring new opportunities for cooperation,” stated Pickering in a press release.
During an interactive meeting with Guyanese Tuesday evening, Lucas-Felix stressed the importance of setting aside differences and working together for a stronger community. She communicated the sentiments of all government officials she met that day, who commended the hard work and dedication Guyanese in building Anguilla.
That evening at the Anguilla Football Association Conference Room, there were several concerns raised surrounding the renewal of passports, since Guyanese in Anguilla must travel to the nearest Consulate. This poses a problem for some persons, since Guyana passport holders must have a visa to enter Sint Maarten.
Mrs. Lucas-Felix assured the gathering that the Sint Maarten Justice Ministry has been very helpful recently by granting a visa waiver for the purpose of processing consular matters.
“I am so grateful to our Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling and her team, who guided the process and graciously granted a waiver for one Guyanese resident of Anguilla. He [the resident] was able to enter Sint Maarten to process his passport. Although the biometric system requires the applicant to return in order to uplift his passport, I have just received clearance that the document can be sent. The main thing is that once a waiver has been acquired, you must adhere to the terms and return to Anguilla. No one must use that waiver as an opportunity to come to Sint Maarten and stay, as that will spoil it for everyone else,” the Honorary Consul cautioned.
Lucas-Felix also encouraged the GAA to collaborate with the Sint Maarten Guyanese Association (SMGA), given the islands' close connection, to foster shared experiences that promote sustainability and a stronger presence in the diaspora.
On the final day of her visit, she paid an extended courtesy call to the Premier and also used the opportunity to meet with Guyanese-born Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Haslyn Patterson.