Those who are already suffering, stand to suffer more if the tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate.
That's according to one University lecturer, who is calling into question the idea of a "Zone of Peace" against the backdrop of what is happening in Haiti.
00:00Senior lecturer in the Department of Gender Studies at the University of the West Indies, Dr. Angelique Nixon, says specific attention should be paid to the vulnerable and marginalized amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
00:14According to her, if the situation escalates, they will be among those who are more likely to be heavily impacted.
00:21But in this particular moment, I'm thinking about fisher folk. I'm thinking about migrants.
00:29I'm thinking about folks who are already experiencing economic hardships, economic strife right now.
00:39There's so many things that are happening that have already been happening in terms of economic and political struggles across our region.
00:54Added to that, Dr. Nixon says, is the climate crisis facing the region, citing Jamaica, for instance, which is reeling from the impact of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.
01:03She is calling on groups and organizations, including civil society, to take a stand towards steering the nation in a direction that is desired and that will better protect the vulnerable.
01:14Dr. Nixon believes that the stance taken by Prime Minister Kamala Poussard-Bissessa in relation to Venezuela and CARICOM can have long-term consequences, which she calls very concerning.
01:24Also, how decisions are being made, it seems unclear, you know, the level of where is our sovereignty and independence.
01:35It feels very strained. It feels very, you know, familiar when we talk about issues of imperialism and U.S. interference and occupation.
01:48But the weight that CARICOM holds in relation to the decisions of superpowers like the United States is another question.
01:56Dr. Nixon believes it isn't a lot, even when a stance is taken.
02:00CARICOM has been particularly and alarmingly silent about what's been happening in Haiti.
02:07In the times when CARICOM has spoken up, it has been to side with particular power, countries in positions of power.
02:19Calls continue for the region to remain a zone of peace.
02:22Meanwhile, she says, Haiti has experienced destabilization and what she calls intense colonial violence.
02:30Peace is not what's happening for, I think, and for many, many years in Haiti.
02:36So I think we have to reckon with that. There has to be a reckoning of what that means for our region.
02:41According to Dr. Nixon, the real question is why are leaders in the Caribbean making decisions that are benefiting a few instead of the majority?
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