Progress and Setbacks
Independence has not ended the old political rivalry in the islands, not either, has solved the social and political injustice. The tourist industry is starting to flourish, and the first signs are already in all corners of the island. A good example is the recent construction of Port Zante, a magnificent cruisers station. In fact, many people are delighted tourism is taking off gradually, because they think that St. Kitts & Nevis can manage to do a good job, though some others would rather prefer a definitive impulse. That explains a recent case of drug trafficking, involving great sums of money, and related with the killing of the Prime Minister’s son, and of the chief of the Police Department. This scandal rocked the foundations of society, and the Government had to ask for help to Scotland Yard.

Poverty prevailing in some of these little Caribbean islands makes them ideal for drug smugglers. It is still certain that people won’t starve (there is a fruit tree in each corner) and most of the people in St. Kitts are happy with what they have. Life here is peaceful, and though they cannot earn much money working, there’s always a good excuse to stop and drink a cool bear that makes even more pleasant the mild tropical weather. However, as well as in the rest of the world, many people do want more: a car, cable TV and a good house with concrete walls, instead of the little wooden houses predominant in the island; and if money coming from tourism is not enough to make true their wildest dreams, there always will be an easy way to obtain it quickly.

However, the judiciary authorities of these islands, have received the priceless help of Scotland Yard and American agents in their fight against the drug smugglers network. The final goal is to make law and order prevail, and though it will take some time, their inhabitants are ready to be patient. 

SLANDEROUS POLITICIANS
Political heated debates are frequent among St. Kitts people, where two rival journals are published daily, attacking each other ferociously. The Labor Spokesman is from the Labor Party, while the Democrat supports the People’s Action Movement ideas. Though both parties sustain similar ideas, and spend a great deal of their efforts to mutual accusations of incompetence and corruption, St. Kitts people supports, vehemently, one of both.

Politics are very much present in daily life of the islanders. Their working and recreation places are the scene of passionate controversy. The few people not interested at all in politics describe this phenomenon as a “tribal political system”. However, though it’s true that politics on the island are polarized and very passionate, it’s also true, that politicians and their followers move, almost always, within the elementary principles of democracy and freedom of expression. Verbal disputes may be heated, but rarely go much further.

Many critics argue that if solving the economic and social problems, gets a major attention from politics, the overall situation of the island will improve drastically.

Basseterre, the Revival of an Elegant City
The patience of this people, waiting for the best time to pick up the best fruits of progress, and maintaining alive the best of their traditions, may be confirmed in the noisy city of Basseterre. After decades of lethargy, the elegant colonial city, that in 1727 was officially declared British capital, has awaked to a second life.

In more than five years, numbers of old buildings have been carefully restored. The campaign has been a huge success, and has brought back to the city, a great part of the lost colonial splendor, and that now is possible to contemplate: the lower floors of the buildings, built with volcanic stone blocks, and the higher floors, with their balconies and porches, decorated with beautiful wooden tracery. At present, this initiative is starting to bear economic fruits. Each time more cruisers dock here, to offer passengers the opportunity to enjoy, for some hours, the charm and beauty of Basseterre. Trade multiplied, and new souvenir and duty free shops emerged anywhere.

But Basseterre still conserves intact a strong colonial flavor. Traffic policemen, dressed with colorful uniforms, try to clear up the little car congestion, that usually take place at The Circus, an octagonal square built like the famous Piccadilly Circus in London. Here is the Berkeley Memorial, a tower with a cast iron adorned clock, that seems to watch with disbelieve the noise at its feet. From the terrace of the Ballahoo restaurant, tourists look astonished when they hear the shouts of the taxi drivers, trying to convince people to take a cab: “hey, what you really want is a taxi, you can’t go walking with this heat”. Nearby is Independence Square. This square, that in its day was a slave market, hosts now a nice park, with gardens with the forms of the British flags, and a fountain in the middle. Old buildings from the XVIII century occupy the square sides.

At the maritime boulevard, you’ll find Port Zante, a modern port where cruisers going to St. Kitts dock. As usually happens on this island, the ambitious project took more time than planned, to be completed. Hurricane Hugo, didn’t help much either, as in 1989 dragged everything in his way, wrecking dredges and barges used in the construction works. Fortunately, it is finally completed, and some say “it is in perfect harmony with the historical spirit of Basseterre”, around so precious place, shops and restaurants, a hotel and even a casino are planned.

In clear contrast with this modern construction, chickens and goats run around the narrow alleys of Bay Road. In front of the official market, next to the colorful fishermen boats resting over this narrow sand strip, an improvise fish market attracts the attention of hundreds of clients.

The Circular Highway of St. Kitts
Though the city of Basseterre has wake up from its lethargy, an has become a noisy place, you can’t say the same of the rest of the island, where life goes on peacefully, as you can verify if you go through the only highway on existence here, and that goes along 51 km. of the perimeter of the northwestern region of St. Kitts. The landscape going from the coast to the foothill of Mount Liamuiga (formerly called Mount Misery) lets you see some sugar cane fields. Old sugar cane factories were transformed into luxurious inns and houses.