St. Lucia is a parliamentary democracy that holds competitive elections and has long experienced peaceful transfers of power between rival parties. However, differences in the sizes of voting constituencies have resulted in unequal voting power among citizens. Persistent challenges include government corruption and inadequate transparency, police brutality and a perception of impunity for such abuses, and discrimination against LGBT+ people. Violent crime is a growing concern.

• The government undertook efforts to improve its citizenship by investment (CBI) program. In June, authorities signed a regional agreement that enhanced the program’s transparency and due diligence procedures. Authorities also increased the number of staff responsible for carrying out these best practices. However, the CBI program continued to attract scrutiny, including in November after the citizenship of a naturalized Chinese national was revoked because of a money laundering conviction in Singapore.
• Police data released in April showed that 334 people under the age of 35 had been murdered over the previous decade. In September, police launched a crime-prevention strategy focusing on better community policing. However, at the end of December homicides had reached a yearly all-time high of 78. Violence is driven largely by intergang rivalry, as St. Lucia has become a transit hub for South American cocaine being transported to the United States and Europe. Violence has also been linked to arms and human trafficking.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.