In a surprising turn of events, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has demanded $4.9 trillion in reparations from nations historically involved in the slave trade. Mottley’s announcement came during a lecture at the London School of Economics on December 6, where she echoed King Charles III’s sentiment that it was time to acknowledge the lasting impact of slavery on affected nations.
Mottley stressed that discussions about repaying this debt would be challenging and time-consuming. She emphasized that while the damages and wealth extraction occurred over centuries, Barbados and other affected countries demand to be seen and heard.
Mottley asserted during her lecture:
“We’re not expecting the reparatory damages will be paid in a year, or two, or five because the extraction of wealth and the damages took place over centuries. But we are demanding that we be seen and that we are heard.”
As social media users came across this announcement, they were quick enough to react to this. One of the internet users responded to this news shared by End Wokeness on X, by saying, ‘At least she didn’t round up.’
The Barbadian leader met with the newly-appointed British Foreign Secretary David Cameron the day before making the announcement.
Social media users react to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s demand
As internet users came across the announcement of Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s demand, they started reacting to it. Social media users shared hilarious reactions to it and said it is great to start morning with a laugh. At the same time, others reacted by saying that this is another scholar that is demanding something for free.
It is worth noting that the Barbadian leader Mia Mottley met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron a day before making the announcement. At that time, when the topic of reparations was discussed, Mottley remained tight-lipped, stating:
“I’m not going to get into the details of our conversation, but suffice it to say I think the foreign secretary will take his lead from his majesty.”
In her earlier estimates, Mia Mottley suggested that the UK owed around $24 trillion to 14 countries affected by transatlantic slavery. Additionally, she claimed Spain owed $17.1 trillion, France owed $2.9 trillion, and the Netherlands owed $4.86 trillion.
Despite the seemingly staggering figures, Mottley defended her estimates by stating:
“These numbers, if taken out of context, can appear to be staggering. But in relation to the total wealth accumulated over a period of time, the numbers are actually minuscule.”
It is also worth noting that last year, during his trip to Rwanda, King Charles III expressed sorrow for the suffering caused by slavery. However, he stopped short of apologizing for the royal family‘s historic involvement in the practice.
