The Regional Security System (RSS) continually intercepted drug boats across the Caribbean for the past 40 years. Despite their successes, their protocols could not stop the rain from falling.
The US military are not constrained by such protocols. They gave the drug boat operators the same sentence of death they give those who consumed their products. After over 20 recent military strikes on boats from Venezuela, the rain stopped falling. With no more boats left to strike, US President Trump announced their intention to strike land targets.
We called for an end to the US military strikes. But are we on the right side of history on this issue? Who benefits from our call? Are they not the drug dealers and sex slavers? Who are harmed? Are they not the victims of drugs and sex slavery?
RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine the right side of history as events are unfolding. However, it may be determined after the consequences of historical actions are analysed.
For example, our Haitian family knows that their part of the Caribbean is not a zone of peace. Haiti is a member of CARICOM and they pleaded for our help. On 29 February 2024, Barbados promised to commit troops to the United Nations’ (UN) supported Multinational Security Support Mission to restrain the gangs. Some of the other nations that promised to send troops sent some. We sent none.
Currently, despite our oral support for the Haitian people, the main beneficiaries of our decision not to send troops are the lawless gangs who murder, rape and terrorise the Haitian people across Haiti. Those found on the right side of history tend to be judged by their actions – not words.
EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA.
Every year at the UN, we call for an end to the US trade embargo against Cuba. But will we be found on the right side of history on this issue?
Fidel Castro led a revolution against a reportedly corrupt government and assumed power in 1959. In 1960, he passed a law to seize the assets of US citizens. He then seized their investments including: oil refineries, sugar mills, utility companies, hotels and banks.
The US government responded by issuing a partial trade embargo that same year. When that did not have the desired effect of compensating US citizens for the seizures, it became a near full embargo in 1962. The embargo restricts US investments in Cuba to prevent those investments from being seized, since a law allowing seizures remains in effect. The embargo may end if Cuba agrees to compensate the US citizens whose assets were seized.
Many nations invite US-dollar investments. One risk to foreign investors is that the country will nationalise or confiscate their investments without compensation – like Cuba did. The embargo appears to have deterred such action and thus protected all foreign investors. To ensure that we are on the right side of history, why not advocate for an end to the US trade embargo and for the Cuban government to compensate those whose assets were seized? There seems to be a reason why we have not done so.
RETURNING HOME TO A NIGHTMARE.
Many Barbadians travel overseas to work or study. They may remain overseas and raise a family while planning to return home after they retire. They may find land in Barbados with a pleasant view, purchase it and pay the annual land taxes. The laws of Barbados allow a squatter to take possession of that land if they squat on it for 10 years.
When persons return home after 20 years of paying land taxes and are ready to build their dream home on their dream lot, they may find they only purchased the land and paid land taxes for the squatter. The Laws of Barbados give squatters legal ownership of the land – and punish those who paid for it.
Our maintenance of that unfair law seems to have changed us – for the worse, and explains why we could support: (i) drug gangs over the victims of drugs, (ii) the Cuban Government over the US citizens who invested in Cuba and (iii) Haitian gangs over the suffering Haitian people.
Grenville Phillips II is a Doctor of Engineering and Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com.
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