Imani Tafari-Ama | US muscles Caribbean ‘Banana Republics’

Chaos is a common condition of world politics these days. It seems as though some leaders have concluded that the more they destabilise the lives of those that they govern, the more control they will be able to exert over the body politic.

That has certainly come to characterise the first two months of the Trump 2.0 presidency. Mass layoffs, rising costs of living, dismantling of social security and public health structures are only a few of the litany of shockwaves that are surely not designed to soothe the nerves of the faint-hearted.

If the Caribbean thought it would be overlooked in the stirring of the mayhem pot it would have been mistaken. United States of America secretary of state, ‘Little Marco’ Rubio, threw down the gauntlet. In one fell swoop, he underlined the 60-plus years of extensive US sanctions against Cuba.

As far as we know, these sanctions are in response to Cuba’s socialist political stance, which dates back to the Cold War and Soviet Union support. Yet, Rubio chose to treat Caribbean nations like “banana republics” and to muscle regional governments to comply with the foreign-policy designs of the US. He demanded that the Caribbean discontinue employing Cuban doctors. The suggested sanction for not complying was revocation of US visas.

With Cuban lineage himself, it is striking that Mr. Rubio is so vehemently opposed to his native country. According to him, the Cuban doctors, who have served professionally throughout the Caribbean for decades, are an exploited workforce.

Secretary Rubio stated that the Cuban government confiscates the passports of the medical personnel, collects their pay and doles out peanuts to these allegedly exploited workers. Rubio threatened that unless complicit Caribbean countries that employ Cuban doctors discontinue this collaboration, the vaunted treasure of US visas would be cancelled.

FIRESTORM

A firestorm followed the issuing of this thinly veiled threat. The viral video response from Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley was deafening in its defiance. Her refusal to bow to this pressure, despite not currently hosting any Cuban doctors, was in keeping with her no-nonsense reputation. Similar statements of refusal were forthcoming from the heads of state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica’s initial silence on the matter was deafening. Critics claimed that this reticence reflected a long reputation for being the weak link in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chain. Prime Minister Eric Williams’ “one from 10 leaves zero” assessment of Jamaica’s fickle response to Caribbean federation initiatives taunted the present with past weak-kneed politics.

In an apparent effort to dial back the disruption of the usually calm Caribbean scene, Marco Rubio announced a two-day visit to the region. His schedule of stops in Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname suggested that Jamaica was scripted to pour the oil on the troubled waters.

Jamaica Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and Secretary Rubio hosted a press conference where local and international journalists weighed in on the contentious issues. As the controversial lead actor who headed the US/France/Canada task force to send security personnel to Haiti, Prime Minister Holness was walking on complicated hot coals in declaring continued commitment to implementing regional security strategies.

While proposing a “global war on gangs”, a phrasing that even Secretary of State Rubio found problematic, Prime Minister Holness did not unpack the implications of this standpoint. The Caribbean is notorious for being a trans-shipment zone for guns manufactured in the US and drugs sent from sources in South America to satisfy burgeoning US demand.

SIDESTEPPED

The discussion also sidestepped confrontation of the invidious role played by the US and France in Haiti, including repeated regime change and weapons distribution. No discussion of the deep roots of Caribbean underdevelopment, due to Euro-American colonial hegemony and its enduring legacy.

It is fatuous to talk about tackling the trafficking in guns and building safer communities without confronting the demon of the US’ military industrial complex. The gun industry earns huge profits from the production of the very weapons that have become more valuable than life itself in many under-served communities in countries like Jamaica.

For years, justice advocates have touted the idea of bringing class action suits against profiteering gun manufacturers in the US. However, this initiative is dead in the water if we do not name the elephant in the room. Prime Minister Holness, who apparently has the ear and favour of the Trump administration, should leverage this closeness to demand more accountability from our northern superpower neighbour on the question of gun production and control. Unfortunately, our prime minister seems more comfortable being in the president’s back pocket rather than being a critic.

Secretary of State Rubio did acknowledge the threat posed by the $50 billion a year US weapons industry to citizen security in Jamaica. The rhetorical question he posed was: “How many of the guns and weapons that are being used to commit crimes in Jamaica are purchased in the United States?” He could have answered, all. Instead of vowing to tackle the powerful gun lobby when he returns home, he proposed building Jamaica’s capacity to solve its own problems. That, he said is what US assistance looks like.

No surprises there though. One cannot dismantle the master’s house using the master’s tools. It would have been more productive if the upskilling prospects that Prime Minister Holness mentioned would have included empowering advocates for human rights and transitional justice to lobby for compensation for the families of victims killed by weapons designed for death, for profit. Can’t fault me for indulging in some wishful thinking in the midst of the whirlwind of offers of foreign aid, including forensic lab boosting, night-vision goggles, and security software.

An enterprising journalist from the Washington Post asked about the scandalous Signal security leak, which revealed US plans to bomb the Houthis in Yemen. Rubio struggled to defend the indefensible. He justified this asymmetrical war, which had not been endorsed by Congress by demeaning the Houthis as a bunch of pirates.

This dehumanisation was offered to excuse the jubilation expressed by lawmakers at the indiscriminate bombing of civilians. No mention that the Houthis are resisting the US/Israeli war in Gaza with their Red Sea blockade.

Stabilising Haiti, trade and investment relations, improved safety for US tourists and prospects of purchasing clean energy products from the US composed the silky sartorial response offered by both leaders to treat the entrenched gun culture plaguing the Caribbean.

By the time the speeches were crafted, the contentious visa threat debacle had been silenced and swept firmly under the red carpet. Instead, Rubio rationalised the safety of green card aliens, leaving the status of more temporary visa-holders hanging in the ominous balance of the deportation threat.

Sigh. Sleight of hand; same old, same old. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Imani Tafari-Ama, PhD, is a Pan-African advocate and gender and development specialist. Send feedback to i.tafariama@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com.