Caribbean allegiances – treason and traitors

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The outside world has become a complicated place, with conflicts, targeted assassinations and renditions of government leaders being the new Caribbean order. In this paradigm, allegiance, nationality of citizens and residents become of paramount concern, somewhat like the new American citizen theory. The US has always required their president and vice-president to be a born citizen.

Crucial and sensitive government posts must be limited to citizens of unquestioned loyalty, perhaps some private sector positions as well, especially in the communications sector.

Recently in Jamaica, an aspiring prime minister, born in Jamaica, had to renounce his United Kingdom citizenship by parents, to erase any doubt of his loyalty. Congratulations! Several other members of parliament have had to take the same road.

But foreign citizenship can only be one metric for Caribbean leadership or important government positions. Residence permissions like the so-called American Green Card, visas or other foreign government privileges should not only be disclosed, but discarded to avoid any doubt of loyalty in these perilous times.

Then, there is the no small matter of Caribbean tax havens or other offshore corporate holdings that cast suspicion on the holders and their eligibility to hold high office. In other countries, it is an expedient political trope for former leaders to flee to Dubai and Panama with their assets, some ill-gotten, intact.

Caribbean tax havens are beset with problems of unknown loyalty among their government workers and residents, many of whom possess several citizenships or residential permissions for other countries.

The wholesale granting of residence and citizenship in these countries that allows multiple positions of patriotism by the grantees may be a commercial expediency, but it can only lead to defective governance and security in times of belligerence by bigger nations. Some born citizens with toes in other ponds are also at risk to their country.

As colonies, they are not only faced with divided allegiance to the United Kingdom but integral government personnel with split obligations of loyalty. The Cayman Islands government recently confirmed that it does not keep track of the divided citizenship of its employees, especially from nearby besieged Cuba, with a million armed citizens at the ready. An oversight comedy that may end in tragedy.

This has nothing to do with solidarity, Cuban medical missions or shortages of workers but simple national security in a time of conflict and divided loyalties.

In all of this, can Caribbean governments be only for those with unequivocal loyalty or the anti treason?

PETER POLACK

Cayman Islands

peteropolack@gmail.com