CARIBBEAN leaders often refer to Latin America and the Caribbean as a “zone of peace.” This designation implies that the countries within these regions are neither at war with each other nor with any other country and have historically maintained peaceful relations with all and sundry. The leaders have been diligent in preserving this status, as evidenced by recent events involving tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo region, which both countries claim as their own.
In response to this escalating situation, Caribbean leaders acted swiftly; they facilitated meetings between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana, emphasising the need for dialogue and peace. Notably, they condemned significant Venezuelan military border activity and observed a decrease in tensions since the issuance of the Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace on December 14, 2023. This declaration followed a meeting between the Presidents of both countries.
Additionally, Caribbean leaders welcomed the inaugural meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela, along with their technical teams, in Brasilia on January 25, 2024. This meeting marked a positive step toward rebuilding cooperation between the two nations while the International Court of Justice considers the case concerning their mutually disputed boundary.
The reality on the ground, however, differs for the average citizens of the Caribbean and Latin America. In certain areas—such as Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and elsewhere—the murder rate remains alarmingly high. Residents fear venturing outside their homes due to criminal gangs, drug-related violence, street gangs, and other forms of organised crime. Innocent lives have tragically paid the price for this violence.
While collectively the region maintains its status as a zone of peace, individual countries’ and their respective governments continue to grapple with these challenges. How can such a dichotomy exist? How is it that the unity which exists amongst Caribbean leaders that pushed them toward nurturing peace in the Venezuela/Guyana crisis does not coexists with the harsh realities faced by their citizens?
Take Haiti for example, which faces significant socio-economic and political difficulties. It is difficult, if not impossible, to ascribe to that country any sobriquet importing the concept of “peace”.
The Caribbean, unfortunately, stands out as one of the more violent regions in the Americas. It registers some of the worst murder rates on the continent.
Jamaica has the highest murder rate in the Caribbean, with 52.9 homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. Other countries like St. Lucia, Trinidad, and the Bahamas also face alarming rates of violence. Mexico is in a league by itself.
Saint Lucia, indeed, is a classic case where homicides, intentional or otherwise, hardly make headlines due to citizens’ desensitization to violence.
CARICOM (Caribbean Community) has recognized the severity of crime and violence as a public health safety issue in the region. CARICOM, in 2023, held a symposium on this topic and issued a declaration which can be read under the heading: “Regional Symposium: Violence as a Public Health issue, The Crime Challenge”
Perhaps it would serve the leaders best if they work collectively toward making their countries safe for citizens before loudly proclaiming to the world that the region is a zone of peace. Not that this designation perturbs us at all, on the contrary, we want it to remain a zone of peace. We also want citizens of the region to feel safe and at peace within their respective countries.
We therefore call on Caribbean leaders to address, just as efficiently as they did with the Guyana/Venezuela issue, the root causes of the violence plaguing each country and to engage the younger population within their respective countries to build a more secure future for themselves.
Maintaining this region as a zone of domestic peace and safety, cannot be done if leaders concentrate solely on preventing sabre rattling between individual countries and ignore the violence within their respective countries.
See CARICOM Statements on Crime and Public Safety (February 29, 2024 and April 18, 2023) for additional reading.