Caribbean & Central America - August 2013 (ISSN 1741-4458)

The idea that Jamaica could be heading towards failed-state status is raised from time to time and has again been making headlines after the local media seized on impromptu remarks made by Professor Brian Meeks at a ruling People’s National Party (PNP) 75^th anniversary symposium held 20-21 July. Meeks, who is director of the Kingston-based Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies, was cited as using the examples of the Tivoli Gardens unrest following the arrest of local drug baron Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke in May 2010 [RC-10-06] and Jamaica’s return to IMF tutelage to warn that unless “we begin to think very clearly about these things”, the country could be gradually heading towards failed-state status without necessarily knowing it, like “a frog in hot water”.

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