Caribbean Condemns Deadly U.S. Anti-Drug Campaign  

Regional tensions are rising as alarm spreads over a growing U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug smuggling vessels, a campaign that critics now warn could amount to extrajudicial killing. According to U.S. officials, the strikes have surged to twenty-two separate boat attacks in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since the campaign began in September, with a reported death toll reaching at least eighty-seven people.  Outrage grows over both scale and tactics. Among those attacks was an alleged “double-tap” strike, where a follow up attack reportedly targeted survivors from a disabled vessel, raising serious concerns about war crimes. Amid this backdrop, Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca has condemned the strikes and urged that the Caribbean remains a zone of peace.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade

“Belize’s position is that we want the Caribbean to remain a zone of peace. We certainly would want to urge strongly against any military action in the Caribbean Sea. That is not in our view, in the interest of anyone that will destabilize our economies, create problems with tourism and so many other issues. We certainly are very hopeful that it does not reach that point. We understand that there’s a serious problem with narco trafficking and drug trafficking, and Belize works very closely with the United States government to address that issue along our borders. So we are committed to working on that issue. But we certainly hope that there is no military action taken in the Caribbean.”

 

Shane Williams

“And are you concerned that these strike might happen offshore Belize? Because it’s not limited to any specific country, it’s against the entire drug trade.”

 

Francis Fonseca

“Yeah. I think, as I said, we are committed to working on that issue. It’s a very serious threat to our societies, to economies, the narco-trafficking trade through Belize. It’s one of the great challenges that we face as a country. So we are always concerned about that issue. But I think the best way to approach that issue is through dialogue, cooperation, sharing of information. That is what we would like, so that we understand what is taking place. So far, as I said, that has not been forthcoming.”