The Nassau Guardian
Democracy Movement responds to CARICOM
Miami-based protest group Democracy Movement said yesterday that a statement issued by CARICOM over the weekend in support of The Bahamas government was “misguided, inconceivable and biased” and has the group threatening to reactivate its protests against The Bahamas.
In its statement, CARICOM said it “deplores the threatened economic boycott of The Bahamas and attacks on Bahamian economic interests in Florida by certain interest groups based in Miami”.
Democracy Movement spokesperson Ramon Sanchez shot back in a statement yesterday that the group took every peaceful measure to convince the Government of The Bahamas to address the alleged abuse of Cuban detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
“In fact, if there has been any negative impact on the economy and image of The Bahamas, it has been the direct responsibility of the Government of The Bahamas for refusing to timely investigate human rights abuses, [and] for dragging its feet in producing the report,” he said.
“Democracy Movement had already stopped all demonstrations three days after the Government of The Bahamas created an independent panel to investigate the alleged abuses.
“However, if we see that the minister of foreign affairs (Fred Mitchell) continues to revive the conflict instead of thoroughly investigating the gross human rights abuses, the Democracy Movement will have no choice but to then reactivate its human rights advocacy efforts.”
The group met with Carnival Cruise Lines and planned to meet with several Florida businesses that work with The Bahamas to discuss the alleged abuse.
However, Sanchez said the group put all of its protests against The Bahamas on hold following an announcement from the government last week that the proceedings against the marines involved in the alleged abused would begin.
Five Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines were charged yesterday at the Coral Harbour base, their attorney Wayne Munroe said.
Sanchez said Democracy Movement would not stop advocating for human rights.
“We humbly say to CARICOM: You can rest assured that we will not stop advocating for human rights until human rights are respected and abuses are thoroughly investigated, regardless of how many regional political maneuvers the minister of foreign affairs of The Bahamas might make,” he said.
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