US pledges millions for security initiative in Caribbean

Julissa Reynoso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central America and the Caribbean

Come next year 2012, the Caribbean is to benefit from another injection of $US77 million which the United States said they would be using to develop projects to fight crime and violence in the Caribbean Region under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) launched last year, in the US.

The CBSI is a shared regional security partnership between CARICOM Member States, the Dominican Republic and the United States. The partners identified three core objectives to deal with the development threats facing the Caribbean: reduce illicit trafficking through programs ranging from counter narcotics to reducing the flow of illegal arms/light weapons; advance public safety and security through programs ranging from reducing crime and violence to improving border security; and promote social justice through programs designed to promote justice sector reform, combat government corruption, and assist vulnerable populations at risk of recruitment into criminal organizations.

The CBSI Commission is currently holding its second meeting in Guyana on Thursday and Friday. It is at that meeting that Ms. Julissa Reynoso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central America and the Caribbean, Bureau of Western hemisphere Affairs, United States Department of State, announced to security officials and international development partners that the 2012 budget of US$ 77 million would be used to support greater coordination and control of border and maritime routes, training and capacity building for law enforcement and justice sector, even while continuing previous efforts in education and workforce development for vulnerable youth and at risk populations.

Ms Reynoso, who is co-chairing the meeting with St Kitts and Nevis, announced that in the next few months, her country would be delivering to the Eastern Caribbean, high-speed interdiction boats and relevant equipment as part of the US Secure Seas Effort. Those boats would complement ones provided to the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as part of a broader regional maritime security program. Guyana and Suriname will also receive riverine patrol boats and related equipment in 2012. “We are proud of the accomplishments of the past year under the CBSI, she said.

“We have encountered many challenges but we believe that the CBSI provides a useful and necessary framework for coordination and collaboration with our partners in the Region.”

Ms Reynoso was of the firm opinion that the partnership to date had spawned measurable results in the three priority areas. In the area of law enforcement information sharing, she reported that surveys of fingerprint processes, equipment, recordkeeping and training in six Member States and that automated fingerprint identification system equipment were now being purchased for those six Member States.

In the area of justice reform, she explained that the CBSI had agreed to dedicate a regional legal advisor to develop a task force to address critical crime issues including homicides and to advise on legal reforms. In addition, the US and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) were working through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) to screen passengers into Caribbean ports of entry.

Training on integration of information into national databases, regional border interdiction exercises and border enforcement training for fifty CARICOM customs, immigration and police officers were also planned for the coming months. In the area of promoting social justice, Ms Reynoso stated that the partnership was supporting education and youth workforce development including youth entrepreneurship.

“We are expanding our youth workforce development projects in the six OECS countries and in Suriname,” she added.

The US is also working with its CBSI partners to promote effective prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, including money laundering terrorism financing and public corruption. Preliminary assessments have been conducted in Trinidad and Guyana with technical financial crimes assistance and training would begin in November.

Amidst concerns that the CBSI partnership had not made the impact that it should have, Ms Reynoso noted that in its first year there might have been challenges but in the coming year, things would be better.

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29 Comments

  1. justice to be served
    October 16, 2011

    Well it s good to see Dominicans have a grasp of the world situation,no one helps us for nothing, so we must help ourselves, an love one another, and stop the talk about riot and 1979, because America will just be too glad to interfere in the interest of American citizens at Ross, and next thing you know we will have Hector as our PM and and we will be wondering how dat happen there nuh.

  2. The truth
    October 15, 2011

    Boy America is something else you know. I mean I appreciate anything that can help the Caribbean, but why onl when they feel threatened? Why only when our problems become their problems? The drug and crime problems is hitting u.s soil so only now they want to help. Thanks anyway but I hope America learns a lesson. When we have problems, it WILL become your problem at some point

  3. Just Saying
    October 14, 2011

    We don’t want more guns and such to kill our own people. that’s all USA every give to us, what we need is industries and other things that can help stimulate out economy.
    #JustSaying#

  4. Buwo
    October 14, 2011

    If China was giving the Caribbean this morning, the place would already be filled with comments.

    But what we going get from America from this money? Nada, anyeh, zilch.

    This money is mainly to prevent drugs going north. America is the world’s largest consumer of illegal drugs: from coke to mepth. (Make me wonder if life is so good in America as many Dominicans like to think, why the use of so much drugs?). So the Americans cannot control the use of drugs within their borders, they turn around and give the Caribbean a little bit of money. Now when drug use continues unabated within their borders, their annual state department drugs report blames the Caribbean for NOT doing enough.

    America is just trying to catch up with China who has pledged US1-billion dollar in DEVELOPMENTAL aid to the Caribbean.

    We should let America deal with their own drug problem within their borders and stop accept scraps from their table.

    Hahahahahahah

    • mouth of the south
      October 14, 2011

      if we allow them to deal with their problem then we are opening our gates to the drug dealers also…. yes the majority goes to the u.s but remember the lil bit that comes and stays on our shores are crippling our people… so imagine if we sit and do nothing… the war on drugs is not just an american problem… it’s a world wide problem… i just wish they would give help in other areas and not just security to chase down drug dealers

  5. Jack of All Trades
    October 14, 2011

    They giving us the money to help us keep our criminals in check so they will not migrate to the States or send up drugs to the US.

    The Americans have no interest in helping us. Don’t go crazy thanking them. If there was nothing in it for them, they would not give us a penny.

    They only give military type of aid and they are the main beneficiaries of that “aid”.

    If they want to help us, they should make it easier for our farmers to sell their produce in foreign lands. They should also stop flooding our markets with their cheap genetically modified foods.

    • A.B
      October 14, 2011

      Excellent point although i would have stated it differently – same message anyhow.

    • target
      October 14, 2011

      Jack of all trades

      Couldnt have said it better…..secret….I gave you a thumb down by a mis

  6. justice to be served
    October 14, 2011

    why do we need America or anywhere to tell us how to deal with one another. There was a ime when Dominica had little or no crime, that was the time when we had no outside interference, before the Eugenia sold us to America.

  7. Well, now what?
    October 14, 2011

    Why don’t they just legalise Cocaine in the US? Not here … there is the problem.

    All that stuff they stick up their noses for fun cost our people lives. As said above … this is to stop the drugs from arriving in the US and also illegal immigration … it is not to help us.

    Get rid of the illegal drug (only way … legalise it) and you have no reason to traffic through our island and to corrupt our youth and politicians.

    99% of our crime (the hard stuff) is from crack and cocaine in general. Imagine a world without that. We used to have it.

    Whores and killers. Cocaine make of us many.

    Every time that the US put up another wall to stop the drug entering itself. We then become the new market. Those drugs got to be sold once they are here from Venezuela and Colombia … they got to sell them … so they stop taking them to US … too risky … and sell them here. Pay the local fisherman with crack not cash. He got to sell them now to our children

    The Us is not helping anyone but themself. Wha

  8. Anonymous
    October 14, 2011

    how about the us focus on stopping crime and decreasing the people who want drugs right there in the us. if they stop their desire for drugs there would be a need to stop trafficing from the caribbean. and as for weapons didnt we just find out that the us was sending weapons into mexico. please the us send guns and drugs where they want when they want. they only fund these programs to try and bribe caribbean leaders to do what ever they want

  9. carrottop
    October 14, 2011

    And where is the US going to get the money, they are so deep in debt.

    • Trouble
      October 14, 2011

      so they say but gud point.

  10. mouth of the south
    October 14, 2011

    i didn’t even read the rest… just the first paragraph… i usually read everything… but it scratches my skin to see every time the u.s give finance it has to do with security etc…. i mean there must be other ways they can help to curb the crime and violence…

  11. zandoli
    October 14, 2011

    US treachery as usual.

    • WIKILEAKS
      October 14, 2011

      hello no extremism here please. we have too many of our people benefiting from studying working and living in america, please refrain from your extremist statements. we like our barrel at christmas and we have NO QUARREL with america….thank you

  12. executive command.
    October 14, 2011

    pay back for what???? life owes us nothing, we owe ourselves everything….GOD will deal with those who are seeking to enslave others. we just have to concentrate on keeping ourselves free from mental enslavement….we leave this earth just as we came into it, naked and empty handed… money and material is incomparable to the strength of the human spirit.

    • Trouble
      October 14, 2011

      well wat u have to do is live without money while you on earth.. GOD didnt make the US and Europe this powerful they took it, so there r thing we sud do for ourself inculding getting repartiations.. understanding tht we deserve it is the 1st step

  13. executive command.
    October 14, 2011

    reduce illicit trafficking through programs ranging from counter narcotics to reducing the flow of illegal arms/light weapons; advance public safety and security through programs ranging from reducing crime and violence to improving border security; and promote social justice through programs designed to promote justice sector reform, combat government corruption, and assist vulnerable populations at risk of recruitment into criminal organizations.

    America is the birthplace of democracy, Right now the american people are PROTESTING on WALL STREET and are demanding that 2% of the population cannot own 90% of the wealth, SO WHAT ALLU BASHING????????????? there are good people everywhere, DID YOU HEAR THAT SOME YOUNG MILLIONAIRES CAME AND TOLD OBAMA THAT THEY ARE NOT BEING TAXED ENOUGH, THE VERY SAME THING THAT THE REPUBLICANS REFUSING??? TO PLACE MORE TAXES ON THE WEALTHIEST 2%. YOU PEOPLE ARE SO CLUELESS OF THE TRUE CAUSE AND ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY…. CAPITALISM WILL NOT WIN OVER THE VOICES AND LIVES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE…. if we allow these power hungry men to get their way we will remain like sheep or cattle on a farm…

  14. possie
    October 14, 2011

    To prevent drugs and haitians from entering the united states, thats all, not to elevate our youths, our farmers, our social structure, our roads and so many other issues bawling for attention in small caribbean states. Tell dem go mexico

    • executive command.
      October 14, 2011

      ohhh hush up, you paranoid too man???

    • Anonymous
      October 14, 2011

      Did you read your comment before posting it? Do you know how many of our people live and work in the U.S. and have elevated their standards of living because of it? You people just love running your mouths…and are good at it.

  15. Trouble
    October 14, 2011

    very good start paying us back for slavery… and keep it coming

    • Lingo
      October 14, 2011

      Pay us back for slavery? The current gov’ts of countries who capitalized on slavery owe us nothing. Thats like me accusing you of stealing something your great great great grandfather stole from my great great great grandfather. :?:

      • Trouble
        October 14, 2011

        dnt be a idiot.. past government of US/ current US government wats the common factor?? the US = US states. dnt be a dummy, think before you speak n stop setting black ppl back with this they owe us nothing talk. why dnt you try n explain why all the africans they shipped in the caribbean has to keep knocking on their doors for search of a better life?

    • No reparations
      October 14, 2011

      They’re only going to issue weaponry and vehicles for black idiots to continue killing one another a whilst they sit back and enjoy the show…..AS USUAL

      • Anonymous
        October 14, 2011

        Who’s to blame but the black idiots themselves??

    • Anonymous
      October 14, 2011

      Trouble, go back to your history books and you will see it was AFRICANS who sold their own kind to the Europeans…and for what? Copper and tin and the likes.

      • Andrew
        October 14, 2011

        Who wrote the History books you were reading Mr anonymous, I don’t think it was Africans. The European version of History is not one you should trust or believe in. Anyway if someone offers you his Brother/Sister in return for material goods what sort of person are you to accept and enslave that person. The slave trade was a Horrific Crime against Mankind which put Black people back 100’s of years and there should be some Kind of Reparation for the People who suffered from this. If they can spend 200 Billion Dollars on war they can afford to pay the Survivors.

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