St Vincent police Commissioner Colin John has confirmed that Desron Rodriguez could either face charges of breaching the National Emergency Act or be let off with a stiff warning about venturing up to La Soufriere permission.
Section 33 of the law grants a cabinet minister, under advice from the Director of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the authority to order the evacuation of any premises or area. The law grants ministerial power to “limit the extent of the disaster totally or partially prohibit or restrict public access, to any road or pathway within the State affected or likely to be affected by the disaster.”
Rodriguez has become a controversial social media personality for his daring climbs to the edge of the erupting volcano. His latest climb on Sunday was denounced by volcanologist Professor Richard Robertson, the UWI scientist monitoring the volcano.
Commissioner John said Rodriguez has not been formally charged and would likely be released within 24 hours if no formal charges are laid.
“Once an area is declared an evacuation area, permission has to be sought or obtained from the director of NEMO, before you can obtain permission to enter that zone,” the Vincentian police commissioner said.
