Jamaica: elections expose rotten bourgeoisie – for a revolutionary alternative! The PNP and JLP went head-to-head in local elections on 26 February for the first time in eight years. But rather than an eagerness from voters to cast their votes, turnout was Jamaica’s lowest ever at barely 29 percent. This is a clear rejection of not just the PNP and JLP, but the whole rotten edifice of Jamaican capitalist ‘democracy’.
Reform or Revolution: Jamaica 1972-1980 The 1970s was one of the most tumultuous eras of Jamaican history. The island country was thrown into a period of intense class struggle not experienced since the Great Depression and the 1938 general strike. Ultimately, a bloody campaign of violence driven by US imperialism defeated the struggle for socialism in Jamaica. This momentous episode in the history of the Jamaican working class provides all workers and youth with stark lessons for the class struggle today.
Trinidad and Tobago: down with the corrupt UNC and PNM! For a revolutionary workers’ party! Amidst a rising tide of class struggle in Trinidad and Tobago, local elections are to be held on 14 August. Yet, it’s expected that the turnout will fall to its lowest in decades. This reflects a rejection of the capitalist establishment and the need for a revolutionary alternative for workers and the youth.
Trinidad: the 1937 general strike This year, on 19 June, Trinidad celebrates 50 years of Labour Day (first marked in 1973). The roots of this occasion, however, can actually be traced 36 years earlier to one of the most outstanding events in Trinidadian history – the 1937 general strike.
Jamaican independence: 60 years on On 6 August 2022, Jamaicans celebrated 60 years of formal national independence from British rule. The parasitic Jamaican ruling class attempted to use the pomp, ceremony and spirit of national fervour to distract from worsening economic and social crises. But the fact is that the tasks of Jamaica’s independence struggle have not been completed.
British monarchy’s Caribbean calamity: down with this feudal relic! With the British monarchy mired in crisis and scandal, calls for republicanism are growing across the Commonwealth. The struggle for genuine independence must be linked to the struggle against imperialism and capitalism – and for socialism.
“Forward ever, backward never”: the tragedy of the Grenadian Revolution 13 March marked the anniversary of an insurrection by a small party in 1979 – with the popular support of the masses – who ousted a dictator and attempted to throw off the shackles of imperialism. This insurrection was carried out by a party known as the New Jewel Movement (NJM), self-described “Marxist-Leninists”, who set about making a series of positive gains in a country suffering from a legacy of imperialism and slavery. Democratic structures, measures to liberate women, improved healthcare and education earned popular support for the revolutionary party in the early stages of the revolution – an inspiring episode in the history of the Caribbean.
Coverage of the Jamaican Elections 2007 We received the following contribution which provides useful background information to the upcoming Jamaican elections.
Revolutionary Jamaica awakens again Last week riots erupted in several cities on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. According to the Jamaican newspaper Jamaica Gleaner, the riots began after the island’s national electricity provider announced a rise in electricity tariffs. However, the protests were also directed against decaying public infrastructure such as roads and sewage, low wages, and the increasing violence on the island.