Peter Espeut | Don’t look now: we’ve been conquered!

Speaking at the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference on March 5, at US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida (Jamaica was among the 17 countries present), Peter Brian “Pete” Hegseth, US Secretary of War, announced that US President Donald Trump had “re-established the Monroe Doctrine”, and that the Pentagon now calls the region north of the equator “Greater North America”.

“Greater North America” includes every sovereign state and territory extending from Greenland in the north, to Ecuador in the south, and encompasses Canada and Mexico in North America, Central America (including Panama and the Canal), the Caribbean (including Jamaica), and Colombia, Venezuela, The Guianas and Ecuador in South America.

On March 30, 2026 – again at SOUTHCOM – Hegseth announced that from henceforth, there is no more “Global South”, which has historically represented a counterweight to US world hegemony. “President Trump has drawn a new strategic map”, Hegseth said (Google the announcement broadcast on PBS). Within “Greater North America” the US will assert direct control over the region’s security and resources (including Jamaica’s bauxite). This completely undermines the autonomy and sovereignty of the so-called independent countries in the region.

We have been conquered! Without a shot being fired. Nary a bang nor a whimper! What wimps!

And so there is no more need for CARICOM, since “Greater North America” is the only grouping that matters.

In exchange for a supposed, supervised peace – the Pax Americana – the region is asked to hand over to the US its natural resources and border security, maritime routes, and the Panama Canal. The US will have control over land, air and sea. Announcement of this new designation is not a proposal for cooperation, but an order essentially to annex the region. We will all become client states – vassal states.

NOT DONE WELL

The truth is, though, that independent Jamaica has not done so well with border security. Guns and drugs and people pass with ease through Jamaica’s 635 miles of porous coastline. I always found it comical that Jamaica committed to send our security forces to Haiti to help them with their gang problem, when we have not been able to deal with the 389 criminal gangs we have on this little island, many of them aligned with our two corrupt political parties. If Trump plans to rid us of political gangs – and the corrupt green and orange politicians behind them – maybe “Greater North America” is not such a bad idea after all! If the US took some of the gunmen and drug-dealers alive (instead of blowing all of them up), and extradited them to the USA, maybe they would talk and (middle) finger the not so “Honourables”.

What have the presidents of Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica said, now that the United States has told them that their countries are part of Greater North America? These five governments have opted for strategic silence, without issuing statements to reject or validate Trump and Hegseth’s new map. They prefer to ignore a unilateral geographical and geopolitical decision about which they were not consulted, and on which there is no agreement.

Jamaica’s silence, then, is not surprising. I suppose we too can ignore the USA, until the aircraft carriers and guided missile destroyers appear in Kingston Harbour. I am sure the GPS co-ordinates of the targets are already compiled to be queued into the attack computers, if necessary. Schools and hospitals beware! A digit wrong could mean a horrible death!

The Cuban doctors were Phase 1. The reaffirmation of the Munro Doctrine is designed to counteract influence in the Western Hemisphere from nations like China and Russia. The two last-named countries have been given “notice to quit”, and all those who entertain them must divest and send home the foreign workers – or else! There goes UC-Rusal at Ewarton, Alpart-JISCO at Nain, the CHEC-projects, and the Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company at Monymusk. And finally! Listen for it: The Goat Islands are safe! Maybe this “Greater North America” thing is not such a bad idea after all!

END TO CHEAP ROADS

But it will mean an end to cheap roads, and cheap high-rise buildings. But local contractors should be happy, until the US construction companies arrive to get the infrastructure contracts.

Whereas the US wants Russia and China to quit Jamaica, the new hegemon has given no undertaking to step in and fill the financing gap. If we step out of line, and Trump kills our tourism and BPO sectors, with what will we be left? Agriculture?

If he might do it anyway, why give in so easily? Put up some resistance, nuh!

No! Deacon Sam Sharpe and Deacon Paul Bogle are dead and buried!

In the early days of bauxite, we negotiated one-shilling-a ton for our valuable but finite resource, soon to come to an end. If anyone thinks Jamaica’s public purse will overflow if and when the oil wells on Walton Bank start to gush, they will have another think coming! Integrity Commission get ready!

But is all this renewed “doctrine-ing” and re-mapping just “Trumpism”, to come to an end when the King demits office? Or will the Democrats carry on where “The Donald” left off? Your guess is as good as mine.

Let us see how good our negotiators are this time around! Maybe they can extract some benefits for us from our new Backra-Massas. There has to be an up-side to being in “Greater North America”!

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and development scientist. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com