South Florida Jamaicans keep wary eye on unrest
South Florida Jamaicans keep wary eye on unrest
By Georgia East, Sun Sentinel
SUNRISE: With images of soldiers under attack, police standoffs and gang violence erupting in pockets of west Kingston, Jamaica, some South Florida Jamaicans are reconsidering travel plans and expressing concern about loved ones on the island.
Airlines that carry passengers between South Florida and Kingston were canceling or rescheduling flights Tuesday. Flights into and out of Montego Bay were unaffected.
The unrest stems from the planned extradition to the U.S. of alleged drug lord Christopher "Dudus'' Coke, who has some popular support in Kingston. On Tuesday masked gunmen tried to block security forces from raiding a Coke stronghold, leading to a bloody confrontation.
The latest report is that 26 civilians are dead and 25 have been injured, according to Amitabh Sharma, a journalist speaking from Kingston.
Jamaican authorities declared a state of emergency in parts of the capital Sunday. On Tuesday, the United States shut its embassy. Last week the State Department issued a travel alert urging Americans not to travel to Kingston.
Many in South Florida, home to an estimated 150,000 people of Jamaican descent, say they're feeling the impact of the unrest.
At the Boston Juicy Jerk, a Jamaican restaurant in Lauderhill, employees and patrons watched CNN for the latest updates Tuesday.
Restaurant co-owner Janet Irving said she left the island when she was 2 years old, but is still moved by the reports of violence. She said it's hard to assess the magnitude of the situation from afar, but she deplored the looting in downtown Kingston.
"The same stores they're burning down are stores they will need after this is all over,'' Irving said.
Experts in Latin America and Caribbean policy have compared Coke to former Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar.
An employee who did not want to divulge his name said he has been closely monitoring the situation, and he is very familiar with West Kingston.
"I have family who live in the area," he said. "No one can go out at night. People will die for Coke, they will give up their lives for him.''
Sharma said from his office in downtown Kingston he could see convoys of Jamaican security forces moving into shanty towns. Some of his colleagues had to turn back on their way to work because of gunfire.
"Since yesterday I've seen a lot of smoke rising from these communities,'' said Sharma, who works near Tivoli Gardens, a hotbed of action in West Kingston.
The concern is there will be a spillover of violence into other communities. People are wondering if Coke is setting up a command post in one of Jamaica's upscale communities, he said.
"No one seems to know where Coke is, despite intense searches,'' Sharma said.
Janice Cover, of Lake Worth, said her nephew is with the Special Forces in Jamaica.
"I'm concerned because he's in the belly of it,'' said Cover, who tries to talk to him every day.
Cover said people have to understand the violence is not widespread.
"The situation in Jamaica is not happening nationwide, it's in a section of the capital city, Kingston,'' said Cover, a leader of the Jamaican Diaspora's southeast region. "Yes, it is an embarrassing situation from a Jamaican Diaspora perspective, and it is my hope that it will end soon.''
"The bottom line is that law and order has to be restored,'' said Marlon Hill, a Miami attorney and chairman of the Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board for the Southern United States.
Sunrise resident David Muir, a photographer who has relatives in Jamaica, said now is when he usually registers his two sons, ages 8 and 12, for a two-week summer camp based outside Kingston.
But he's not sure he will send them, given the potential for escalating violence. "It's definitely a tough call,'' said Muir.
The violence could hurt Jamaican tourism, especially in the busy summer season. But it is not affecting major tourist destinations like Port Antonio or Ocho Rios, said Marie Gill, president of the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce.
"It will hurt tourism for a short while,'' said Gill. "But most of Jamaica's tourism is focused on the north coast, and in Montego Bay and Negril. In those areas, everything is calm and it's business as usual.''
The Jamaican Consulate General in Miami and the Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States region will host a community forum at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Holy Family Episcopal Church, 18501 NW Seventh Ave., in Miami Gardens, where concerned nationals can further discuss the situation in West Kingston.
By Georgia East, Sun Sentinel
SUNRISE: With images of soldiers under attack, police standoffs and gang violence erupting in pockets of west Kingston, Jamaica, some South Florida Jamaicans are reconsidering travel plans and expressing concern about loved ones on the island.
Airlines that carry passengers between South Florida and Kingston were canceling or rescheduling flights Tuesday. Flights into and out of Montego Bay were unaffected.
The unrest stems from the planned extradition to the U.S. of alleged drug lord Christopher "Dudus'' Coke, who has some popular support in Kingston. On Tuesday masked gunmen tried to block security forces from raiding a Coke stronghold, leading to a bloody confrontation.
The latest report is that 26 civilians are dead and 25 have been injured, according to Amitabh Sharma, a journalist speaking from Kingston.
Jamaican authorities declared a state of emergency in parts of the capital Sunday. On Tuesday, the United States shut its embassy. Last week the State Department issued a travel alert urging Americans not to travel to Kingston.
Many in South Florida, home to an estimated 150,000 people of Jamaican descent, say they're feeling the impact of the unrest.
At the Boston Juicy Jerk, a Jamaican restaurant in Lauderhill, employees and patrons watched CNN for the latest updates Tuesday.
Restaurant co-owner Janet Irving said she left the island when she was 2 years old, but is still moved by the reports of violence. She said it's hard to assess the magnitude of the situation from afar, but she deplored the looting in downtown Kingston.
"The same stores they're burning down are stores they will need after this is all over,'' Irving said.
Experts in Latin America and Caribbean policy have compared Coke to former Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar.
An employee who did not want to divulge his name said he has been closely monitoring the situation, and he is very familiar with West Kingston.
"I have family who live in the area," he said. "No one can go out at night. People will die for Coke, they will give up their lives for him.''
Sharma said from his office in downtown Kingston he could see convoys of Jamaican security forces moving into shanty towns. Some of his colleagues had to turn back on their way to work because of gunfire.
"Since yesterday I've seen a lot of smoke rising from these communities,'' said Sharma, who works near Tivoli Gardens, a hotbed of action in West Kingston.
The concern is there will be a spillover of violence into other communities. People are wondering if Coke is setting up a command post in one of Jamaica's upscale communities, he said.
"No one seems to know where Coke is, despite intense searches,'' Sharma said.
Janice Cover, of Lake Worth, said her nephew is with the Special Forces in Jamaica.
"I'm concerned because he's in the belly of it,'' said Cover, who tries to talk to him every day.
Cover said people have to understand the violence is not widespread.
"The situation in Jamaica is not happening nationwide, it's in a section of the capital city, Kingston,'' said Cover, a leader of the Jamaican Diaspora's southeast region. "Yes, it is an embarrassing situation from a Jamaican Diaspora perspective, and it is my hope that it will end soon.''
"The bottom line is that law and order has to be restored,'' said Marlon Hill, a Miami attorney and chairman of the Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board for the Southern United States.
Sunrise resident David Muir, a photographer who has relatives in Jamaica, said now is when he usually registers his two sons, ages 8 and 12, for a two-week summer camp based outside Kingston.
But he's not sure he will send them, given the potential for escalating violence. "It's definitely a tough call,'' said Muir.
The violence could hurt Jamaican tourism, especially in the busy summer season. But it is not affecting major tourist destinations like Port Antonio or Ocho Rios, said Marie Gill, president of the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce.
"It will hurt tourism for a short while,'' said Gill. "But most of Jamaica's tourism is focused on the north coast, and in Montego Bay and Negril. In those areas, everything is calm and it's business as usual.''
The Jamaican Consulate General in Miami and the Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States region will host a community forum at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Holy Family Episcopal Church, 18501 NW Seventh Ave., in Miami Gardens, where concerned nationals can further discuss the situation in West Kingston.
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