These Chaps Deserve a Memorable Christmas, Fellow Jamaicans.

The confidential settlement between the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) and Trade Winds Citrus Limited regarding the Rio Cobre oil spill is nothing short of a travesty of justice. This development raises alarming questions about governance, transparency, and the protection of Jamaica's natural resources.

These Billionairing Chaps Deserve A Memorable Jamaican Christmas

1.0 A Precedent of Impunity

The NRCA’s decision to withdraw its prosecution and shield Trade Winds from future claims sends a chilling message: environmental violations can be negotiated and billionaired away. Such actions compromise the regulatory framework meant to safeguard Jamaica's ecosystems and communities.

2.0 The Director of Public Prosecutions Must Act

Our justice system allows the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to challenge the outcome of any criminal case, including this settlement, up to the highest courts. The DPP must exercise this authority to review the settlement and ensure justice prevails for the Rio Cobre and the communities it supports.

3.0 Investigate Potential Collusion

Law enforcement must thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this settlement. Were undue influences—monetary or otherwise—exerted to broker this outcome? I urge Commissioner Fitz Bailey, now serving in the Turks and Caicos Islands, to lend his proven expertise via, a consultancy, to Jamaican authorities to uncover any impropriety.

4.0 Demand Political Accountability

The government must demonstrate leadership by holding the politically responsible minister, excellent though he be, to account. His resignation or stepping aside, though difficult, could reaffirm the administration’s commitment to integrity and responsible governance. Prime Minister Holness should consider this precedent, as former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson once nobly did 3 or 4 decades ago over the Iran Sugar matter.

5.0 Rebuild Public Trust

The NRCA’s credibility is in tatters. Transparency reforms and stringent enforcement of environmental regulations are critical to restoring public confidence in its operations. Non-disclosure agreements in matters of public interest should be unequivocally banned.

6.0 A Consumer Boycott

Jamaicans should express their indignation through a boycott of Tru-Juice and associated Trade Winds products this festive season, extending until Easter 2025. This peaceful yet powerful action will highlight the public's rejection of environmental exploitation and corporate complicity.

7.0 A National Reckoning

The Rio Cobre is more than a meandering stream by a rutted road in the Jamaican countryside; it is a lifeline for wildlife, fisherfolk, farmers, and communities. To allow its degradation without consequence would be a betrayal of future generations. It would be a further fiery fart flung flagrantly in the faces of this fraternity of furious, long-suffering Jamaicans. Such "EFF"-rey must not stand. Let this moment of yet another state-sponsored indecency ignite a nation-wide movement for accountability, justice, and environmental stewardship. These chaps deserve a memorable Jamaican Christmas.

by Dennis A. Minott, PhD.

November 30, 2024