Mahogany CoConut Blog

One Caribbean Nation. Guest Editorial Godfrey Martin We owe a debt of gratitude to the government and people of Cuba who have been consistent in their unflinching support for our Caribbean region and all oppressed peoples throughout the globe. Cuba has opened its doors to many, even though it is a developing country savaged by the inhumane economic blockade implemented by the United States of America for 65 years. Added to this is the increased oil embargo recently imposed on Cuba over the past weeks. This has deprived Cuba of receiving much-needed oil necessary for energy and everyday living. These actions have been condemned by international lawyers as a crime against humanity. Cuba’s crime was to throw off the yoke of Yankee imperialism and seek a socialist path for the development of its people and resources. Cuba’s crime was also to reject the path of becoming a vassal and neocolonial state of the USA and Western imperialism. It chose the path of defending its sovereignty. ...

One Caribbean Nation. by  Sir Ronald Sanders The war in Iran is already at Caribbean doors. The attacks in Iran and the Gulf are being justified by some on the grounds that Iran's record on terrorism, nuclear ambition, and regional meddling leaves the "free world" with no choice but to act militarily. The Caribbean has every reason to take that record seriously. But for small, import‐dependent states in this hemisphere, an additional set of questions demands urgent attention: who is paying the economic and social price for this war, and what is it doing to the rules that are meant to protect small states? A war fought there, a bill paid here The conflict has already pushed up oil prices, freight rates, and insurance premiums for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical corridors for oil and liquefied natural gas. For Caribbean countries that import most of what they consume, every additional dollar on a barrel of oil, and every extra c...

One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner The Caribbean is facing both regional and Global challenges that threaten all the gains made as the perpetual struggle to totally free itself from an almost inhumane past , engineered by the debilitating slave trade and colonial domination. Having struggled successfully to forge the unique Caribbean civilization by becoming independent nations and abandoning the British empire , the region now stands almost flat footed because of the erratic machinations of the   United States of America as it seeks to influence the region and place demands as to what friends and allegiances it should have. The message from Washington is blunt and clear : support us or you would face vicious and serious challenges. The quick capitulation of some regional leaders in matters relation to Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro and its desire to use Caribbean islands as surveillance tools for the American military expeditions are causing frustratin...

One Caribbean Nation. ‘TWO-PRONG ATTACK’ ‘INCREASE IMPORTS, BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH STABLE EXCHANGE RATES’ — WORRELL By Emmanuel Joseph In a move that upends decades of thought in economics on managing developing countries like Barbados, the former governor of the Central Bank of Barbados has proposed that the region import more. Dr Delisle Worrell suggested increased imports as part of bold policy reforms focused on currency stability, arguing that only these measures will unlock sustained foreign investment and lift the Caribbean out of decades-long economic stagnation. Economists in the region have long argued against increasing imports, fearing consumer demand would invariably drain foreign reserves and weaken a country's capacity — or will — to grow GDP through domestic industrial development and exports. But in his latest monthly newsletter, Imports Sustain the Quality of Life in the Caribbean, Dr Worrell, who also consulted for the International Monetary Fund and World...

One Caribbean Nation. The new pirates of the Caribbean Today’s Editorial The seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker by US President Donald Trump’s administration and the accompanying threats of ground attacks, are ominous signs of a return to a dark era of the Caribbean and Latin America thought long behind us. This latest act of intimidation and outright piracy revives the heavy hand of the United States’ late 19th- and early 20th-century foreign policy, the age of gunboat diplomacy, military occupations, and the casual violation of sovereignty in the name of hemispheric “stability.” This escalation bears chilling resemblance to the early 20th century’s Caribbean interventions, when Marines landed in Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic under the flimsy banner of protecting US interests. Then as now, high-minded talk of “security” masked simpler motives: the control of trade routes, natural resources (this time, oil and gas in the world’s largest reserve), and regime change. Tod...

One Caribbean Nation. Trinidad Guardian Editorial The population of Trinidad and Tobago is now into a period in which every T&TEC generator that blows can give citizens close to the explosion a feeling “that the war has started.” And who can blame such a possible reaction in the circumstances of complete uncertainty about what is likely to unfold out of the happenings of the last couple weeks. The big issue driving the fear to heightened levels is the absence of information on whether or not the United States is planning to take military action against Venezuela and what are the circumstances which can precipitate it. Moreover, the reality is that the consequences of military conflict between the US and Venezuela can have serious repercussions for the safety of Trinidad and Tobago, its citizens and infrastructure. The rhetoric from a few spokespersons of the Venezuelan government has been increasing and disturbing, leading to a sense that there can be retaliatory action against T...