We are not at war, but we are not safe Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (10 March 2022) –– Speaking as a Jamaican, we are not at war with any country, and we don’t expect to be. We are at war with ourselves. This reality is lived my many Jamaicans in their daily experiences. The high levels of crime, particularly homicide, and the wanton use of guns, put every Jamaican at risk. Some, because of the neighborhoods they live in are most vulnerable and are at greatest risk. They do not have...
Trump’s security assistance cuts and Pompeo’s Jamaica promises diverge Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (25 February 2020) — On the 10th anniversary of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), former president Barack Obama’s signature security assistance partnership with the Caribbean, president Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget cut proposal undermines the bold promises made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his recent visit to Jamaica. Even as Pompeo was in...
Questions I would have asked Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (29 Nov. 2018) — As a Host of CaribNation TV, I requested an interview with Jamaican Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness to take place during his visit to Washington DC from November 25-29, 2018. With the expectation that I would have the opportunity to sit down with the Prime Minister, I was asked to submit the subject areas for the interview which I provided in great detail. I was...
Trinidad & Tobago Faces Terrorist Threat Ambassador Curtis A. Ward It came as no surprise when news broke that U.S. intelligence services had warned the Government of Trinidad & Tobago (Trinidad) of plots to carry out terrorist attacks during Trinidad’s Carnival 2018 celebrations. Trinidad has been vulnerable for years and successive governments have failed to undertake necessary and timely action to ensure that the country has in place appropriate laws, and administrative and...
The State of National Security in Jamaica with Sen. Pearnel Charles, Jr CaribNation Inteview – Hosted by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (15 Sept. 2017) — I had the opportunity to sit down with the Hon. Senator Pearnel Charles, Jr., Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security of Jamaica to explore the state of national security in Jamaica, in particular his areas of responsibilities. Sen. Charles has some very interesting ideas in terms of rehabilitation and reintegration of...
NAJASO – Addressing Jamaican Issues Head-on Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (17 July 2017) — Only one week away from a broader government-sponsored Jamaican Diaspora Conference to be held in Kingston, July 23-26, 2017, the issues discussed at the NAJASO 40th Convention held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, set the stage for broader diaspora discussions and problem solving. The level of discussions set a very high bar for the diaspora. The discussions at the NAJASO Conference set an extraordinarily...
Furor over AML/CFT Evaluations of Caribbean States – Who Makes the Next Move? Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (16 May 2017) — A number of Caribbean governments have responded bitterly to the recent negative “evaluation” of their anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AFL/CFT) legal and administrative capacities. More specifically, the U.S. State Department 2016 INSCR named nine Caribbean countries, four of which are CARICOM Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, The...
Trinidad Considers Hanging as Murders Continue Unabated Adam Raffoul (Port of Spain, Trinidad) The last time Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj was Attorney General he successfully hanged Trinidad and Tobago’s Most Wanted Drug Lord, Dole Chadee. It was 1999 and the murder toll for the entire year was 93. Fast forward to 2017, Trinidad and Tobago’s murder count has reached 144, and it is only April. At this rate, the murder count will cross 500, a number not seen since 2008. Despite rapid economic...
When Girls Go Missing – Is it Trafficking? Ambassador Curtis Ward (29 March 2017) — There was a time when a young girl or boy failed to return home on schedule an alarm would be raised that the child is a runaway. There are other reasons. While runaways are often due to social and/or economic conditions, or abuse at home we know now recognize human trafficking as a reason. This is in no way intended to overlook or under-emphasize other crimes against girls, including child abuse...
Trump Presidency has Consequences for the Caribbean Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (23 march 2017) — As a keen observer and analyst of American politics and government over the past several decades, I find the policies of the Donald Trump presidency so far to be disconcerting. Increased geopolitical uncertainty and instability across several regions now seem more probable than at any time in recent history. American leadership generally, and its valuable financial contributions to...
