It was Miami, Florida December 1994 and a particularly garrulous Caribbean media corps had assembled for a press conference called by then President of Guyana, Dr Cheddi Jagan.
We had been out and about the day before, so there were several journalistic “war stories” to encapsulate the food, shopping and other escapades that had ensued.
Occasion was the First Summit of the Americas. Dr Jagan was pressing for his New Global Human Order – an egalitarian “manifesto” he had developed over many years in the political wilderness, but which had come to occupy more significant space as a Caribbean prescription when he took office in 1992.
When he arrived in the press area, the president greeted familiar faces and extended his hand to a small cadre of other journalists.
I remember the moment very well. Jagan was passionate about his agenda for debt relief, poverty eradication, and a more enabling global environment for growth in the developing world.
Based in Guyana at the time, I had the chance to speak with him about all of this. I believe he was firmly committed to these things and that he thought the Summit provided a tailormade platform for consideration of his views. The Declaration in fact included some faint features of them.
By the time the Second Summit arrived in Chile in 1998 (I was also there), President Jagan had died the year before and his wife, Janet, had taken over and was largely ignored by the mainly US and Latin press in Santiago.
The presence of other Caricom leaders, including Basdeo Panday, was equally unremarkable and Linda Jafar and I even had problems securing interviews from them for our reports.
So, back to Miami 1994, Dr Jagan was seamlessly delivering his NGHO manifesto when, in stepped a technician guy from a big US network. “Keep it down over there, guys,” he said, without recognition of the fact that he had interrupted a sitting head of state. “We are conducting an interview next door.”
The Caribbean journalists all turned to the technician guy and asked him to leave and to recognise that he had interrupted the press conference of a Caribbean leader. “I don’t care who he is,” was the response. This could have come to blows, I thought at the time.
No such passions at the Ninth Summit in Los Angeles this week though. It has been a short but vigorous path to this edition. I was, for a period prior to its staging, associated with the near shambolic Fifth Summit of the Americas, right here in Port of Spain. So, I have some insights into the intensity of the process and the influence of the geo-politics.
There is no way I will mock the resolve of our leaders to encourage all-inclusive hosting of a meeting of leaders of the hemisphere whatever the state of play on their respective turfs.
For certain, territorial claims involving Guatemala and Belize, and Guyana and Venezuela could feature, if people wished, in determination of who enters the roll of invitees to any Caricom event, but this has never been the case.
There is however the fact that this time around in Los Angeles, none of the uninvited would have attended anyway. Cuba and Nicaragua had already made it clear and, even if he wanted to, the president of Venezuela would have had to negotiate immunity from criminal prosecution in the US.
On Monday, as some of us tallied the Caricom excursion to LA, we were noting the shame-faced, low-key departures. PM Rowley posted on Facebook and went his way and PM Mottley appeared to have eluded the Barbadian media as she exited for the States.
We already knew St Vincent and the Grenadines would have been a no-show. Dominica seemed poised to boycott as well, but Mr Skerritt is in LA. PM Keith Mitchell also has June 23 elections to attend to and has prioritised things accordingly.
Caricom chairman, PM John Briceño of Belize had said last month the region was considering not attending the Summit in the absence of invitations to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda had earlier led the charge.
Since then, there have been meetings with US Special Advisor on the Summit, Chris Dodd and VP, Kamala Harris, during which a rethink of the Caricom position was reportedly urged.
Last Monday, Briceño was en route to LA. Browne was due to board a flight yesterday. As the days have progressed, I cannot help but remember the words: “Keep it down over there, guys!”
We have apparently complied.
