And just like that, Jamaica accepted third country nationals and continues its downward spiral as it continues to distance itself from our historic foreign policy of standing up against major powers when it comes to what is right and decent. This new foreign policy, one of kowtowing to power out of fear of reprimand is called pragmatic by the government, others however see it for what it is, cowardice and a shirking of responsibility.
Some will say that it is simply the PNP and its agitators who are questioning the validity of this agreement. We all know the storied PNP stalwart, Bruce Golding, so it comes as no surprise that the former ”PNP” PM has come out against it. That for those unaware is sarcasm. Bruce is a card-carrying member of the JLP, it’s former leader and former PM. For him to come out and publicly condemn the deal is massive as it shows that the issue is not a partisan one and is an issue that needs urgent attention.
Who initiated the talks about the deal remains unclear. The US embassy states categorically that it was broached by the former ambassador now minister Audrey Marks. Ms Marks flatly denies this, instead stating that the deal was first brought up by her US counterparts. Clarity on that front is needed first because we need to know if it was something foisted upon us by a superpower, or if it was something we volunteered for. If it was the former, then our accepting the deal is upsetting given what we have historically stood for but understandable as we are heavily dependent on the US for trade etc. and refusing such a request would be met with consequences.
If it is the latter however, then even more questions come up. Why broach the subject unprompted? Did we ask for anything in return, or were we promised something after we began discussion? If it is the latter, how do we intend to deal with potential lawsuits from persons who have been forcibly sent to Jamaica?
The whole matter is unacceptable. When people have asked to see the agreement, we are met with lame excuses and stony faces who say it’s a bilateral deal and therefore their hands are tied. These are nonsense excuses as we have already seen where at least one country has made the whole process transparent, tabling the deal in parliament along with their suggested changes, and for the deal to be properly ratified it would have to pass through the US Congress for approval.
The fact of the matter is that the deal Jamaica agreed to will be made public, just not public to Jamaicans. That cannot sit right with anyone, be they PNP, JLP, or not affiliated with either of the gangs of Gordon House. Maybe an intrepid reporter will seek to get access to the contents by doing a freedom of information request in the US, but I won’t be holding my breath as we have a tendency to let things pass when they go beyond 3 days of outrage.
The deal has so many potential issues, yet we the people are left in the dark and are supposed to take governments word that everything is above board. That is not how democracies on which our governing system is modeled, operate. Governments have power but must hold themselves accountable to the people and their representatives and be open to criticism. With the matter still a live issue before US courts, is Jamaica confident that the path they have taken is legal, and do we have guarantees that if the deportations are deemed illegal by US law, will the US cover any lawsuits or legal costs, or will we be left on our own?
Pressure must be maintained on this as we openly participate in the US far-right fantasies of deporting any and everyone who does not completely match their idea of what citizens and citizenship look like. A country that stood against apartheid, a country that stood with the people of Angola, a country that stood up for President Aristide in Haiti following his ouster, is now saying that talking out of turn comes with consequences. We all know that, but sometimes silence is complicity and active participation means selling your soul. We cannot afford to turn our backs on our history and what we stand for so we must constantly and continually demand answers.
