The USA is weaponising its diplomacy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The United States’ decision to appoint a homosexual couple as the consular representatives to Jamaica, unmasks the US for the truly evil country that it is. This appointment shows that the US does not consider Jamaica to be a sovereign, independent country with its own moral compass and ideals, and further shows that the US does not respect the Jamaican culture or people. Instead, by this move, the US is trying to force Jamaica to accept their own lack of moral compass and ideals. The USA, a country of 300-plus million persons, could easily find a heterosexual couple to send as ambassadors. Instead, the USA is deliberately choosing to send a couple that it knows will be offensive to Jamaica and its people, and will run counter to Jamaican sensibilities, and so on. Furthermore, the USA is demanding that Jamaica must change, or else. We know this, because in retaliation, the USA has refused to renew the diplomatic status of three of Jamaica’s consular representatives in the US.

The USA, which is a large country, is in fact weaponising its diplomacy against Jamaica, a much smaller country, and doing so with impunity. Not only is this a case of weaponised diplomacy, we can rest assured that economic retaliation will soon follow. In this, the USA is doing the very same thing that it accuses Russia of doing to the Ukraine. Their hypocrisy must be called out. I applaud the Jamaica Government for taking a principled stand on the issue, and decry the PNP for not supporting this principled stand.

Jamaicans should stand united with the Government of Jamaica on this issue on the basis that as a sovereign nation, our principles and culture must be respected by all, even those who have superior military and economic power.

I call on the Government of Jamaica to do whatever is necessary to bring the USA’s aggressive and insensitive actions to the world community.

LEIGHTON BROWN