Reality in Writing : Caribbean Political Economy

Originally posted to: NACLA.org Posted on: February 22nd, 2010 Original link: https://nacla.org/node/6427 The Undermining of Haitian Health Care: Setting the Stage for Disaster By: Kevin Edmonds NACLA.org Feb 22 2010 In December 2003, the dedication ceremony of Haiti’s first and only public medical school, a project jointly supported by the governments of Haiti, Cuba, and Taiwan, took place at the University of Tabarre in Port-au-Prince. At the time of the school’s opening, Haiti had one of the worst doctor-to-patient ratios in the world (one to 10,000 in urban areas and one to 20,000 in rural areas), and the school’s ability to provide free medical education was considered one of the most important achievements of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide’s administration. In a declaration full of optimism and hope, the Dean of Health Sciences, Dr. Yves Polynice stated : “The inauguration of the Aristide Foundation University is an

Originally posted on: NACLA.org Posted on: February 4th, 2010 Original link: https://nacla.org/node/6392 St. Lucia: Life After the Lome Convention Nacla.org Febraury 4 2010 Kevin Edmonds My uncle, George James, a longtime St. Lucian banana farmer, sits on the front step of his dimly lit kitchen, sucking his teeth loudly to show his frustration. “I have land, but can’t sell it because nobody wants to work it,” he says. “Bananas are not making money. Nobody wants to be a farmer. Young people look at us as fools. The work is too hard, and the money is too small. That’s why all the young boys want to move drugs. It wasn’t always so bad.” The frustration in his voice comes from almost 20 years of living in a constant state of uncertainty and continually declining prices due to a trade dispute between the European Union (EU) and the United States. In December an agreement was reached that will see the EU further reduce tariffs on impo