Reality in Writing : Caribbean Political Economy

Sept. 27, 2012 NACLA.org Earlier this month, the government of St. Lucia announced that it will be maintaining ties with Taiwan. This came as a surprise to many, as it was Dr. Kenny Anthony’s Labour Party (SLP) administration that broke off relations with Taiwan in 1997, shifting diplomatic relations to the People’s Republic of China. While in opposition, Anthony promised that he would review the island’s foreign relations policy, and it was widely assumed that the election of Anthony in December 2011 would result in the SLP favoring ties with China once again. The many well publicized incidents of corruption and political meddling associated with the relationship between former Taiwanese ambassador Tom Chou and the former United Workers Party (UWP) government widely fueled the assumption that these ties would be broken. Yet this was not the case, and instead Anthony argued that it was best for St. Lucia to stay the course with Taiwan and not behave “like a Jack...

September 21, 2012 NACLA.org On September 21, Belize won a 60-day reprieve after a partial debt payment of $11.7 million, which avoided their descent into a full blown default. With a population of 330,000 people, the Central American nation known for its ecotourism has a government debt of $1.1 billion . Prime Minister Dean Barrow has laid out three proposals for rescheduling its bond payments, resulting in creditors being asked to write off 45 percent of their investment, or spread payments out over 50 years, with a 15-year grace period and interest of two percent, down from the current 8.5 percent. While this would hardly shake global financial markets, such a move would be unlikely for Belize, which has been hit hard by increasing poverty due to sluggish economic growth. Ecotourism has come to dominate the majority of Belize's economy, providing the bulk of the country’s revenue. Despite tourism arrivals being at their highest ever levels , the tourism consul...

Sept. 13, 2012 NACLA.org According to a report released on August 31 by Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon regarding the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH by its French acronym), it appears that the renewal of the highly controversial mission will occur once again without any meaningful debate. Moon’s report effectively acts as a rubber stamp of approval for the occupation, stating that he was “Reaffirming my commitment to continue to focus the activities of the Mission, I recommend that the Security Council extend its mandate of one year, until 15 October 2013.” MINUSTAH’s reputation and credibility as a stabilizing force has been shattered since the introduction of cholera into the island by the negligence of both the troops and shoddy base infrastructure in October 2010. Up until the deployment of Nepalese troops in the Artibonite Valley that October, Haiti had never experienced a cholera outbreak. According to the latest figures , the cholera...

August 23, 2012 Originally Published in Haiti Liberte The international think-tank International Crisis Group has issued a lengthy report on the MINUSTAH military occupation regime in Haiti. Dated August 2, 2012, it runs 28 pages and its central recommendation is that the police/military regime should remain in Haiti for at least another five years. The report is titled, Towards a Post-MINUSTAH Haiti: Making An Effective Transition . This is the sixth report the ICG has produced on Haiti since the earthquake of January 2010. The group has displayed a capacity for frank and unbiased opinion. Its study on shelter and housing issued in June 2011, for example, blasted the government of Haiti and its international sponsors, saying they were utterly failing to meet the desperate housing needs of Haitians. In this latest report, however, the group accepts without question the presence of MINUSTAH and its claim to have the best interests of Haitians at heart. The report amounts to...

August 16, 2012 Originally posted on NACLA.org This year in Guyana, Emancipation Day —the day which commemorates the abolition of slavery —was not a cause of celebration but was marked instead by widespread sadness and anger. On August 1, the funerals of three men —Shemroy Bouyea, Ron Somerset, and Allan Lewis —were held, as all three men had been shot dead by Guyanese security forces during a protest regarding government plans to increase electricity rates in the bauxite mining town of Linden. Almost two weeks earlier, on July 18, the men were part of a large, ongoing protest calling for Guyanese President Donald Ramotar to reverse his decision to increase electricity rates in the community. Opposition to the issue of increased electricity tariffs is not something new in Linden as former President Bharrat Jagdeo tried to implement similar reforms in July 2008 but eventually backed down due to widespread community opposition . While the proposed increase of electricity rates i...

July 26, 2011 Originally published on NACLA.org Despite the war on drugs being lost long ago, the debate on a progressive drug policy in the Caribbean is showing positive signs of revival due to increased campaigning on behalf of community organizations, farmers, and academics. Earlier this month, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders met in St. Lucia to discuss regional issues in the usual fashion but were joined outside by a small but vocal demonstration campaigning for the decriminalization of marijuana. Andre DeCaires, Chair of the Cannabis Movement of St. Lucia , and leader of the St. Lucia Green Party, stated that the demonstration’s purpose was not confrontation but to spark dialogue within St. Lucia and throughout the region. DeCaires commented on how Central and South America are already making important progress in thinking of alternatives to the status quo policies and that “We just want a conversation; we don’t want anybody to change anything now. We’re not ...

July 20, 2012 Originally posted on NACLA.org On January 11, 2012 — the eve of the second anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake — Beverly J. Oda, Canada’s former Minister of International Cooperation announced that the Government of Canada would be committing $19.9 million to the resettlement of 5,000 families (approximately 20,000 individuals), who were left homeless and were living in the internally displaced camp in Champs de Mars. The Canadian government would lead the resettlement initiative, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "Photo Credit - Author" "Canada is proud to be a part of the international efforts to help Haiti as it recovers from the earthquake over the past two years. We are fulfilling our commitment to the Haitian people so they can move forward to building their communities and their country," said Minister Oda . "The Champ de Mars project is a comprehensive Canadian initiative that...