Mahogany CoConut Blog

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. 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...