By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY., Fri. Aug. 6, 2021: The US today saluted Jamaica as the country marks its 59th year of independence from Britain.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the two countries “share deep historical ties, an enduring friendship, and common values.”
He noted that the “longstanding partnership” between the two nations “enables us to work closely as we confront some of the most pressing challenges facing the Western Hemisphere, from the climate crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Jamaica in your 59th year of independence,” Blinken added. “Through initiatives such as the U.S.-Caribbean Resilience Partnership and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, we will work together to further our shared goals of economic prosperity, regional security, health, and disaster resilience, as well as advance democracy and human rights in the hemisphere.”
The anniversary comes as Jamaica is seeking billions of pounds in reparations from Britain as compensation for the Atlantic slave trade during its time as a British colony.
“We are hoping for reparatory justice in all forms that one would expect if they are to really ensure that we get justice from injustices to repair the damages that our ancestors experienced,” Jamaica’s Sports, Youth and Culture Minister Olivia Grange told Reuters. “Our African ancestors were forcibly removed from their home and suffered unparalleled atrocities in Africa to carry out forced labor to the benefit of the British Empire. Redress is well overdue.”
