Caribbean leaders are shifting their views on Haiti and a proposal to create an international security force to aid the country’s overwhelmed police. Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who currently chairs the 15-member Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, told journalists yesterday that the group is now of the view that the country’s police force needs to be strengthened in order to create “a safe corridor to be able to bring in humanitarian support, which Haiti desperately needs,” reports the Miami Herald.
But assistance needs to be approved by the U.N. Security Council and should be financed, Skerrit said, by France, Canada, the United States and others.
CARICOM’s shift on Haiti comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with interim Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry on the sidelines of the CARICOM summit this week in Trinidad and Tobago.
Blinken reiterated U.S. support for an international force to help stabilize Haiti, but did not offer to lead it, reports AFP. Henry told reporters that in addition to the violence "there is a worrying humanitarian crisis" in the country in terms of food insecurity, hailing Washington's aid thus far as "invaluable."
Skerrit cited the fact that Haitians are “are going to bed hungry” as a reason for the “advancement” in their thinking.
In February, Caribbean leaders, meeting in The Bahamas, opted not to support a special security mission to Haiti after Canada said it would focus its efforts on funding the police and issuing sanctions against alleged financiers of gangs, notes the Miami Herald.
Also at the CARICOM summit, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for swift action on Haiti at a time when the humanitarian needs are “soaring.” He reiterated his call to the Security Council to authorize a "robust international security force" to help Haiti's National Police in combating and dismantling gangs wreaking havoc across the country. (United Nations)
“The international armed force the United Nations is seeking to help Haiti dismantle the threat to its stability and secure the country for elections could consist of a mix of military and police units, but must have the muscle, assets and intelligence capabilities necessary to fight heavily armed kidnapping gangs. But most importantly, such a force would not be a substitute for the Haiti National Police,” according to a confidential U.N. document obtained by the Miami Herald."
The document, labeled “Enhanced Security Support to Haiti, Non-paper,” has been circulating among member nations since last month. It offers various options for countries to consider as they weigh the request from Guterres, Haiti’s government and the Biden administration to lead the security mission to Haiti.
Regional
CARICOM turned 50 this week. While the bloc has “failed to deliver the deep and meaningful integration that was envisioned … the fact that CARICOM’s framework continues to exist is a testament to the enduring belief in the benefits of regional integration. No government dares to withdraw from it, fearing a popular backlash from within its own population”, writes Sir Ronald Sanders. (See yesterday’s Just Caribbean Updates.)
Nonetheless, limited integration has kept CARICOM countries from reaping substantial economic benefits, and contemporary challenges — including climate change, transnational crime, potential pandemics, and limited development funds “require more integration, not less”, argues Sanders. (See yesterday’s Just Caribbean Updates.)
Venezuela
InSight Crime’s Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory explores opportunities for intervention to mitigate the impact of organized crime and armed groups in the country’s upcoming presidential elections.
Ecuador
Ecuadorians head to the polls in unprecedented snap elections in August — Americas Quarterly profiles the frontrunners Luisa González, Yaku Pérez and Otto Sonnenholzner.
El Salvador
Salvadoran authorities arrested a top prison bureau aide who prosecutors accused of taking bribes to allow men accused of drug trafficking to exit Mariona Prison and receive unauthorized family visits, reports El Faro.
Peru
Coca cultivation in Peru reached an all-time high in 2022, with the largest growth in crops occurring outside of traditional cultivation zones, according to a new report by the Peruvian government. (InSight Crime)
Jamaica
The Cort process, an innovation in iron production that propelled Britain to become the world’s leading iron exporter during the Industrial Revolution was developed enslaved Black Jamaican metallurgists in the 18th-century, historical records suggest. The process, “helped launch Britain as an economic superpower and transformed the face of the country with ‘iron palaces,’” reports the Guardian.
Jamaican human rights lawyer Malene Alleyne “is, among other initiatives, using human rights law to bring cases on behalf of local communities damaged by industries including mining and oil,” reports Americas Quarterly in a profile.
Argentina
Investment in mining exploration in Argentina hit $370 million last year, the highest level in a decade, according to the country's mining secretariat. (Reuters)
Brazil
Brazil’s national female football team arrived in Australia for the Women’s World Cup on a plane bearing the pictures of Iranians Mahsa Amini and Amir Nasr Azadani on the tail. On the body of the plane were the words: “No woman should be forced to cover her head” and “No man should be hanged for saying this.” (Guardian)