Trump’s strategy for regime change in Venezuela—How far will he go? Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (17 November 2025)--Indications are President Donald Trump will employ military forces to violently topple President Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela—regime change by violent means. If by violent military action, when and how much force he will deploy on the battlefield is mere speculation. The level of military force required will depend on the will of the Venezuelan military to resist...
Be vigilant: expose corruption in hurricane relief and recovery Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (16 November 2025)–Saying there are significant concerns by many in Jamaica and in the diaspora, that the government on its own cannot be trusted to distribute hurricane relief without bias and favor would be an understatement. There is context for these concerns. Equally, and perhaps of even greater concerns, the specter of corruption hovers over the government’s sole control of the massive inflow...
“Sovereignty” – A Plaything of the Powerful? For the powerful, sovereignty is a sword; for the small, it must remain a shield Sir Ronald Sanders (08 November 2025)–Sovereignty is supposedly the cornerstone of international order: the formal declaration that every state has the right to govern itself, protect its territory, and determine its own destiny. Yet the charters of the United Nations and the Organization of American States proclaim not the idea of sovereignty in...
Build Back Better and Smarter: a Response to Environmental Challenges Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (04 November 2025)–We repeat our mistakes and get the same results and at times even worse. The prophet Hosea (8:7) warned us, “You sow the wind you shall reap the storm.” Not a literal translation. We often hear, in the immediate aftermath of a disastrous event, where severe destruction of property and loss of lives are experienced, voices raised, especially by politicians, that ‘we will...
Ambassador Curtis Ward & Scott Silverman A Jamaican and American Community Partnership Project to Provide Jamaica Hurricane Relief, Recovery, and Rebuilding List of Items to Contribute — (You are encouraged to purchase online for direct delivery to address below.) Non-perishable ready-to-eat Foods, etc. Canned meats/fish/vegetables/etc. – sardines – mackerels – corned beef – tuna – salmon – Vienna sausages – corn – pre-cooked...
Jamaica Hurricane Relief A joint effort by Jamaicans and American friends supporting Jamaica Jamaica Needs Your Support! (03 November 2025)–We need your support to provide hurricane relief to the people of Treasure Beach, and the Pedro Plains area, in the parish of St Elizabeth, Jamaica, which is among the most devastated areas of Jamaica as a result of hurricane Melissa (a category 5 hurricane—the largest in recorded history to hit the island– which ravaged the...
Unity – in face of U.S. military action Sir Ronald Sanders (31 October 2025) —Four days after the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government reaffirmed the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, Prime Minister Kamla Persad‑Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago startled the region with a public statement that CARICOM should “get together” and take some of the “illegal Venezuelans” sheltering in her country, and that the Community should press Caracas to accept two hundred...
Sanctions — Coerce or Punish? Ambassador Curtis Ward (28 October 2025) — In recent months, we have not focused on U.S. sanctions against Trump administration adversaries. Yet we have seen the administration’s use of sanctions is widespread and, in many cases, more severe. These sanctions directly targeted political leaders, particularly of Venezuela and Iran. Targeting political leaders is unusual. We have also seen sanctions against Haitian gang leaders and others connected to them;...
Former Heads of CARICOM states call for the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace Eleven former heads of government of CARICOM states, led by the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, former prime minister of Jamaica, have issued a joint statement pleading for maintaining the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace where the Rule of Law is respected. The former prime ministers signing the statement are: Baldwin Spencer (Antigua and Barbuda), Said Musa and Dean Barrow (Belize), Freudel Stuart (Barbados), Edison James...
A New World Order—or the formal admission of the Old? Sir Ronald Sanders (22 October 2025) —The world has long spoken of a “rules-based order,” as though the law itself held dominion over power. Yet, behind the diplomatic courtesies and the fine print of charters, it was power that wrote the rules and altered them at will. The difference today is that the altering is done in full view and only a few feign surprise. We all knew what the Order was even when we hoped for better. We...
