An apology for slavery would not be enough to meet the Caribbean’s demands for reparatory justice, says Earl Bousquet, Chairman of the Saint Lucia National Reparations Committee.
Speaking in an interview with BBC News, Bousquet said Caribbean leaders welcome the growing willingness of King Charles III and Britain’s leadership to discuss the issue. But that opening, he stressed, must lead to a broader conversation about addressing the lasting consequences of slavery.
Bousquet described the willingness to engage as a shift from Britain’s previous reluctance to entertain reparations demands. He said regional leaders and CARICOM Reparations Commission Chairman Sir Hilary Beckles have welcomed the opportunity to advance discussions after decades of campaigning.
However, he cautioned against interpreting the King’s remarks as a promise to deliver a formal apology. The monarch, he noted, had made no such commitment.
Bousquet also challenged the tendency to frame reparations solely as a demand for money. He pointed to CARICOM’s 10-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice as the framework for understanding the wider remedies the region is seeking.
An apology, he argued, cannot be separated from that broader agenda.
Despite the long campaign and Britain’s historical resistance, Bousquet remains optimistic that meaningful progress is possible. He said he believes a breakthrough will come within his lifetime.
