THE HEADS of Government of the Caribbean Community have done well in unanimously calling on the United States administration of President Barack Obama to provide “evidence” to support   disturbing claims of human trafficking crimes in various member states of the region.

For far too long, those who compile data and write annual human rights reports for the US Department of State for worldwide distribution have been in the habit of making sensational allegations of crimes in the Caribbean relating to Trafficking In persons (TIP) and other human rights violations, but failing to provide essential supporting evidence.

The latest TIP report for 2009, released earlier this year, has provoked strong criticisms in the region, with the Guyana Government angry enough to officially call on Washington for “evidence” and an apology. Of course, there is no tradition of ‘Uncle Sam’ ever being humble enough to even correct challenged errors, much less to express regret.

As a result, over the years, member states of CARICOM have had to suffer the consequences of extremely biased US State Department reports on crimes of human rights violations and arrogant ‘lecturings’ over narco-trafficking and gun-running. It was, therefore, only a matter of time before a collective CARICOM challenge would be forthcoming.

It finally occurred this past week at the 31st annual CARICOM Summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In a terse statement, the Heads of Government called on the US Government “to provide full evidence to support the allegations made in the 2009 report on human trafficking.”

In extending an invitation to President Obama’s administration to “engage in dialogue with the Community on this matter,” the statement by the Heads noted that like previous TIP reports, the one for 2009, issued by the US State Department, “were not prepared through a consultative process, and many of the allegations could not be substantiated. In addition, the United States has not responded to requests by affected member states to provide evidence…”

This is nothing but a continuing display of political arrogance which, it was felt, would have been left behind when Barack Obama created history with his great popular ‘time for change’ Presidential victory.

Unfortunately, this aggravating attitude persists, and cuts across even the letter and spirit of the recent accord on ‘Partnership for Prosperity and Security’ that was signed in Barbados between US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton and Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Community.

Extradition politics
There also remains the very outstanding sensitive matter, dating back to the administrations of President George W. Bush, for the US to place on trial, in the interest of justice, the Venezuelan national, Luis Posada Carriles (a Cuban-born emigré), for his documented role in the Cubana bombing tragedy of 1976.

All 73 people on board perished, overwhelmingly Cubans but also including Guyanese and North Koreans.

On the basis of a bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and Jamaica, US authorities last month succeeded in achieving the extradition of the controversial Jamaican Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke for alleged crimes in drug trafficking and gun-running.

Well, there is also an extradition treaty between Washington and Caracas, under the terms of which the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez has formally requested extradition of Posada to face trial for his terroristic adventures that culminated in the horrific Cubana bombing disaster.

There has been no known response to date, but CARICOM is on record as having called for Posada to be brought to justice for that most horrible crime ever committed in Caribbean airspace. It did not happen under the Bush administrations. Will it happen under President Obama’s?

Perhaps, in the spirit of the ‘politics of change’, the US President can at least exercise some initiative in relation to CARICOM’s call at last week’s summit in Montego Bay for “evidence” in support of very serious allegations contained in the 2009 human rights report on human trafficking. 

Will Washington respond to CARICOM’s call?