In 2013, during the 34th Regular Meeting of CARICOM -- the Caribbean Community -- member states "expressed concern that the current adverse economic circumstances of
burdensome debt, fiscal unsustainability and low growth continue to be
inimical to the achievement of self-sustaining economic growth based on
strong international competitiveness, innovation, productivity and
flexibility of resource use."
Words such as "grave," "serious," and "sacrifice" were thrown around during that meeting. In very clear words, CARICOM members stated that reversing their economic decline was of "utmost importance." When CARICOM spoke of "international competitiveness," to just which nation[s] were they referring?
Since 1991, the Dominican Republic has experienced on average an economic growth rate of 5.5%, and this has been taking place at a time when most of the global economy has been moribund. In the 1990s, Dominicans were risking their lives en masse to cross the Mona Straits, to reach Puerto Rico and thus American soil. In the 1990s, many Dominicans were sacrificing to travel to the former British, French, and Dutch colonies, island-nations that constitute CARICOM. Their economies were wealthy in comparison to the Dominican Republic.
Today, Puerto Rico is on the verge of implosion. Today, tourism is in decline across most of CARICOM. But, through a united effort by the Dominican people, we continue outpacing all of CARICOM, receiving last year more than 5 million tourists. If the equivalent number of foreigners were entering the United States in proportion to its population, it would approach close to 160 million people.
The Dominican Constitutional Tribunal [Supreme Court] decided, conveniently for CARICOM, that every individual born in the Dominican Republic needed parents with proper legal status in order to qualify for Dominican citizenship -- a not completely insane policy considering that the population of the country is barely twice the number of foreigners it receives per year. As Haiti is a failed state incapable of providing many of its citizens with proper documentation, it stood to reason that many individuals would be unable to prove any links to the Dominican Republic.
Immediately, Ralph Gonsalvez, one of the most incendiary demagogues the Americas has produced in the 21st century, decided that it was about time for CARICOM to file reparations lawsuits against its former Dutch, French, and British masters. As Haiti is part of CARICOM, maximum financial benefit would be reached from grouping the Dominican Republic among the group of nations that need to pay reparations.
During the 34th CARICOM congress, when they made clear that international competition was killing them, CARICOM decided to reduce itself to blackmail and extortion instead of increasing its economic competitiveness. In a telephone interview with the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, Gonsalvez said: "For about 30 or so years there’s been a movement from the grassroots
and civil society, among intellectuals and professionals, making claims
for reparations for native genocide and slavery. There was no
particular impetus."
When Gonsalvez spoke of "native genocide," he didn't simply refer to the Europeans wiping out the native Taino/Arawak population -- in the most thorough ethnic cleansing in humanity's history -- but also referred to the Parsley Massacre, a bloody rampage carried out over a five day period in 1937 by the Dominican Republic's at-the-time United States-trained-and-appointed dictator. Individuals like Gonsalvez, however, fail to understand that today's Constitutional government, one built and uplifted by poor people with no resources, has absolutely no relation to a 20th century caudillo forced upon the Dominican people after a brutal 8 year US military occupation [The US occupied the DR from 1916-1924.]
Well, actually, Gonsalvez is a very intelligent demagogue, he understands that there is no relation between the two governments, but his zone's economy is in peril and he needs a scapegoat: a dangerous enemy that "massacres" and forces Haitians to flee their homes.
Nothing could be further from the truth, Gonsalvez has shown time and time again that he holds CARICOM's interests above the human rights of Haitians. When the Bahamas just months ago went door-to-door, into classrooms, and into Haitians' workplaces to hunt them down and deport them back to Haiti, Gonsalvez remained silent. When Turks & Caicos publicly proclaimed that it would hunt down and deport Haitians, Gonsalvez remained silent; simply because it doesn't further CARICOM's economic interests to allow Haitians visa-free access into the very union of which their country is a member.
Lately, it appears that the Caribbean Community's situation has become more dire, and they have thus decided to ratchet up their inflammatory rhetoric. In private circles, elements within CARICOM are calling for the Dominican Republic's democratically-elected government to be overthrown. Though CARICOM states have decided through policy decisions to deport Haitians, the current Dominican government has not deported anyone out of their homes.
Though the Caribbean has traditionally been marked by peace among its islands, 2015 is starting to look like a very different year. In the very same way that a bankrupt Germany attacked its neighbors and murdered millions, so may the future see CARICOM's desperation lead to millions of deaths.