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Caribbean leaders often refer to Latin America and the Caribbean as the “Zone of Peace.” This designation means that the countries within the region are not at war with each other or with any other country. Historically, Venezuela has maintained peaceful relations with all nations. Venezuelan leaders have worked hard to preserve that status, as evidenced by recent tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo region, which both countries claim as their territory.
In response to this escalating situation, Caribbean leaders acted quickly; they facilitated a meeting between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana, stressing the need for dialogue and peace. Notably, they condemned Venezuela’s significant military activity on the border and noted that tensions have eased since the publication of the Argyle Joint Declaration on Dialogue and Peace on December 14, 2023. The declaration was issued following a meeting between the two presidents.
In addition, Caribbean leaders welcomed the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela and their technical teams in Brasilia on January 25, 2024. This meeting marked a positive step towards re-establishing cooperation between the two countries during the hearing of their disputed border case before the International Court of Justice.
However, the reality for ordinary people in the Caribbean and Latin America is different. In some regions (such as Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, etc.), murder rates remain alarmingly high. Residents are afraid to leave their homes due to criminal gangs, drug violence, street gangs, and other forms of organized crime. Innocent lives pay a tragic price for these violent incidents.
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While the region generally maintains its status as a zone of peace, individual countries and their respective governments continue to struggle with these challenges. How can such divisions exist? Unity among Caribbean leaders drives them to foster peace amid the Venezuela/Guyana crisis, but why can’t coexist with the harsh realities faced by their citizens?
Take Haiti, for example, which faces enormous socioeconomic and political difficulties. It is difficult, if not impossible, to give the country the nickname of “peaceful.”
Unfortunately, the Caribbean is one of the most violent regions in the Americas. The murder rate here is among the highest in the continent.
Jamaica has the highest murder rate in the Caribbean, with 52.9 homicide victims per 100,000 residents in 2022. Other countries, such as Saint Lucia, Trinidad and the Bahamas, also face alarming rates of violence. Mexico is in a league of its own.
St. Lucia is indeed a classic case where cases of intentional or unintentional homicide rarely make headlines due to citizens’ desensitization to violence.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has recognized the seriousness of crime and violence as a public health security issue in the region. CARICOM held a workshop on this topic in 2023 and issued a declaration titled: “Regional Workshop: Violence as a Public Health Issue, Crime Challenges”
Perhaps the best outcome for the leaders would be if they could work together to make their own people safe and secure before loudly declaring to the world that the region is a zone of peace. We are not at all worried about the title, on the contrary, we want it to remain a zone of peace. We also want the citizens of the region to feel safe and at peace in their respective countries.
We therefore call on Caribbean leaders to effectively address the root causes of violence plaguing their countries, as they did in Guyana/Venezuela, and to engage their youth in building a more secure future for themselves.
It will be impossible to maintain domestic peace and security zones in the region if leaders focus only on preventing threats from one country to another while ignoring violence within their own countries.
Please see the CARICOM Statements on Crime and Public Safety (29 February 2024 and 18 April 2023) for further reading.
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