Chris lays bare the drug culture, economic divide

Christopher Hughes, better known by his online alias Chris Must List, recently shone a light on the deeply ingrained drug culture and stark economic divide in Barbados. If it took the presence of a foreign vlogger to highlight the increasing chasm between the poor, working-class communities and those enjoying a higher standard of living—that is a glaring red flag for the nation.

Hughes, a controversial Canadian YouTuber, gained international prominence in 2024 following his arrest and jailing in Trinidad and Tobago for allegedly promoting the country’s gang lifestyle. He faced charges of “publishing a statement with seditious intention” under the twin-island republic’s Sedition Act. With his cell phone camera and a no-judgement approach, Hughes managed to gain surprisingly broad access to some of the most feared and stigmatised communities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Venturing into hotspots like Laventille, notorious for gang and drug-related activities, Hughes became a target for law enforcement when he began posting videos showing “individuals professing to be gang members, advocating criminal activities, and using threatening language”. After being detained for several days, he was eventually released on bail. In some videos, Hughes can be seen interviewing men brandishing guns, including high-powered weapons, with one man declaring, “For real. We don’t play out here.”

With over 320 000 YouTube followers, Hughes’s popularity translates into substantial income as he uncovers the underbelly of various countries he visits, including Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, and the United States. According to the Trinidad Guardian, Hughes has faced legal issues in Cuba and Somalia, from which he was deported.

This background is crucial to understanding the reaction Hughes got at Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport, where an official reportedly warned him that if he was looking for gangsters, he wouldn’t find them in Barbados.

Hughes’s videos from his visit to Barbados present an unfiltered view of life in some of the island’s poorest and most troubled urban areas. He took viewers through Chapman Lane and Green Park Lane in Bridgetown to the massive Pine Housing Area, where Attorney General Dale Marshall revealed that The Barbados Police Service would “flood” the area with their presence following several shootings.

Hughes’ Barbados vlogs are profoundly revealing as he traverses streets, sits on “blocks”, and interviews mainly young men and even children who recognise and welcome him without fear. Men identifying themselves as “bad men” or “former bad men” openly discuss their living conditions and social interactions. A recurring theme is the desire for money and various plans to get rich, despite many not knowing how to elevate themselves from their current circumstances.

Another constant presence in Hughes’ Barbados vlogs is the widespread smoking of marijuana. To the average viewer, it would appear that people of all ages are casually smoking the drug without fear of arrest, even though it remains illegal.

Barbadian authorities face a dilemma: a significant market for the drug has emerged, with a large population of young men and women seemingly addicted and unable to make it through the day without it.

When police undertake interdiction operations and reduce the availability of the drug on the island, what will happen on the streets of Barbados? Those with connections to foreign drug lords will be substantially enriched, while their power and influence on the streets will be greatly enhanced.

While Hughes can be accused of glamorising the underbelly of our societies, the country cannot ignore the stark realities it faces.