Leadership, Trump, and the Caribbean

After less than a week into the second stint of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America, the world is assessing the impact of his administration following a controversial beginning. Immediately after assuming office, he signed a number of executive orders and announced policies which will have a negative impact on people the world over.

These included the reversal of previous actions taken belatedly by his predecessor, Joe Biden, including the reversal of Biden’s last-minute action to finally take Cuba off what the US deems as the list of states which sponsor terrorism. His decision to withdraw the USA from the Paris Agreement on climate change was, perhaps, not surprising, and the repercussions of anticipated anti-climate change actions that the Trump administration will pursue should surely give pause to Governments and citizens of Small Island Developing States which continue to bear the impacts of climate change.

There were also a number of anti-democratic actions especially as they relate to immigration, trade and the economy.

A very controversial move has been to free an alarming number of persons convicted for violent crimes and acts of treason. With one stroke of his pen Trump freed over 1500 of his supporters who had been arrested, tried and convicted for acts of violence committed on January 6, 2020, when they attempted to prevent the confirmation of Biden as President. Their actions included grievous bodily harm on police officers as they attempted to defend the rule of law.

Another particularly alarming action of President Trump has been one taken in pursuit of his singular persecution of immigrants. The President has carried out his threat to deprive persons born in the USA of non-naturalised immigrants of their universally recognised birthright to citizenship.

While diplomatic courtesy has tended to mask the alarm in most countries over these actions, Caribbean leaders have no doubt been mulling over the actions taken by the White House. There have been the customary and expected congratulatory messages at the formal level. However, one reaction, from a prominent Opposition leader, has had the effect of bringing shame on the political leadership in the region.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar, in her congratulatory statement on Trump’s election, crossed the diplomatic line by not only including her personal views on what are essentially American internal political issues but went even further. She pronounced that “President Trump is the leader that America needs right now” amidst her condemnation of the Biden administration.

For one who may well become the next Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, this obsequiousness brings shame on Caribbean political leadership and can only discredit the image of Caribbean independence. Every political leader is entitled to her/his own views,but just as we jealously safeguard our own right to independent viewpoints, we must all be careful not to cross the line in gross attempts at seeking curry favours.

The pioneers of Caribbean political independence in the post-independence era, the likes of Dr Eric Williams, Norman Manley, Errol Barrow, and Forbes Burnham, were by no means angels but sought to uphold our right to independent political thought and action, while respecting the rights of other nations even when they disagreed with them. Persad-Bissessar’s comments are most unfortunate as they lead us into a dark era of subservience.