Caribbean Caught in Crossfire : COVID-19 , A reminder of Historical Truths

One Caribbean Nation.

Caribbean Heads of Government

As the Caribbean continues to battle the COVID-19, our vulnerabilities to the vagaries of global politics/trade become more pronounced. The most recent revelation concerns the alleged refusal of US ports to release vital equipment needed in the region to combat the spread. While the US embassies in some regional countries, are denying this claim, it is obvious that small and relatively poor countries, are incapable of countering such developments.

Being caught in the crossfire of global political and other  conflicts is nothing new to the region. We were made to fight for the British armies, in wars that were not of our making. We recall American naval bases in some territories, placed there to bully governments from becoming too close to Castro’s Cuba. Of course, at that time, the cold war between the USA and Russia dominated global politics. Today, we witness a kind of coziness between these once declared super enemies.

History does have a way of repeating itself especially when it is encouraged. Before the arrival of COVID-19, the region found itself divided over the conflict in Venezuela, where the US government is hell bent on removing that country’s leader. Indeed, we were totally embarrassed when we saw a photo of Caribbean leaders, sitting outside, the US president’s office, at the white house, waiting for an audience. It reminded us of students, waiting outside the principal’s office at some high school.

Immediately after this embarrassment, we were exposed to a split in CARICOM over who should or should not meet with the US Secretary State when he visited the region a few months ago. Fortunately , the current Chairperson of CARICOM  Heads of government, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, made it clear that she would not accommodate the high handedness of the US Secretary of State and refused to give the meeting a regional stamp of approval by not attending. A position fully supported by the (MCG)Mahogany Coconut Group.

It is obvious that the major world powers still see us as colonies although the Independence movement of the sixties, gave us our freedoms to be masters of our own fate. We need leaders of great vision and tenacity, when attempts are made to divide and rule us thereby making us pawns on the global stage. Even in a pandemic, we cannot relax our vigilance.