Barbuda residents win appeal to protect land from development in potential precedent for Caribbean

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A top court has ruled that two residents of the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda have the right to challenge construction of an airstrip that critics say endangers fragile ecosystems and was begun without any permits. Tuesday’s ruling by the Privy Council is considered a big win for a marine biologist and a retired teacher who launched a legal fight against the government of Antigua and Barbuda in July 2018. The government had argued they had no standing to mount a legal fight. The ruling is expected to set a precedent for other Caribbean nations fighting to protect land that wealthy foreign developers seek to develop, especially after investors seize upon economic opportunities following a catastrophe or national disaster.