Demolished home in Coopers Pen, Trelawny - Photo - The Gleaner

On August 11, 2026, twenty houses situated on a property in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, that were occupied by “squatters” were demolished. Shortly before the demolition operation began, twenty male residents of the property were detained by the security forces. An article in the Jamaica Observer dated August 16, 2026, stated that there are 2,442 people who are homeless across Jamaica in 2025. The basis of the article was based on a survey done by the Board of Supervision (BOS) in collaboration with the Social Development Commission. Following a meeting August 12, 2026, between US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang, what is called a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was signed by both countries. The narrative given to the media is that this is intended for a joint fight against criminal organizations, joint operations, regional security, and most interesting of all, “narco-terrorists.” On Monday August 25, 2026, the US bombed another boat (the second in the same week), under the pretext that it was involved in drug trafficking; this brings the number of people killed so far to a reported 227. No definitive evidence has been presented so far to substantiate that claim.

Neoliberalism and The Collapse of The Social System

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has published in its most recent report dated August 18, 2026, some very disturbing data regarding the troubling state of the Jamaican economy, in critical branches. The age-old Policy of “industrialization by invitation” (the late economist George Beckford) has continued in Jamaica especially under a Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) Administration. There has been foreign investments, and some jobs were indeed created; however, the standard neoliberal results of benefitting the oligarchy, both foreign and local continues. The majority of the Jamaican people, have not benefitted from these windfall investments.

The conditions that underpin the failure of the neoliberal approach to socioeconomic development continues unabated: an under-resourced and dysfunctional Health Care System; high unemployment rate; inflation; inadequate supply of affordable housing; an inefficient and unreliable Public Transportation System; the deplorable conditions of primary roads; the high cost of electricity and lagging distribution; a poor public drainage system; problematic water supply (some areas still have periodic lock-offs); underpaid teaching and Health Care workers; a colonial-based educational system; political corruption; high crime rate, and the undermining of local agriculture, by importing basic staple food products.

Jamaican Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness - Photo: opm.gov.jm

Neoliberalism has run into a “dead end” globally. The promotion of capital through deregulation, increasing privatization, reduction or abandonment of social programs, and the discouragement of Trade Union militancy, has done nothing more than worsen the conditions of the working class, and reinforce the development of a local oligarchy, that more often than not, plays “second fiddle” to foreign counterparts. Governments that have pursued this course of social development have become more and more isolated and unpopular, because they are isolated from the masses and cannot adequately address the basic needs of the society. The Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) is not and has never been a progressive or even social democratic organization; it is an organization that defends and promotes the interests of capital. Faced with such stark and troubling reality, the working class of Jamaica is faced with a critical dilemma.

Is The Peoples National Party (PNP) Relevant?

World imperialism is in a state of ongoing decline; the lopsidedness of neoliberal economic development has been discredited; in such an objective situation, the need for a progressive and working class based politics become imperative. The critical need for an organized and ideologically clear working class organization is the “lifeblood” of the working class and inherent for socioeconomic sustainability. Faced with these objective realities, the Peoples National Party (PNP) is “out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner;” they are incapable of meeting and addressing the challenges the situation calls for.

The PNP has voluntarily transformed itself into an enclave of neoliberal intellectuals, and ideologically centrist wing of liberalism. Their solution to socioeconomic injustice and exploitation is “sympathetic capitalism’” an indication of historical and ideological bankruptcy, and intellectual buffoonery. Under its present structure and leadership, the PNP is incapable of presenting a viable and effective opposition to the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). The PNP’s political lethargy and bankruptcy has offered up the working class of Jamaica as sacrifice on the altar of capitalism. In the area of Foreign Policy, their ineptitude and timidity, is tantamount to a capitulation to imperialism.

The PNP has been “dumbed down,” frightened, and “defanged” into ideological and organizational impotence, by a reactionary, corrupt, and imperialist lapdog JLP. They have been so “defanged” that they cannot adequately and vociferously defend the legacy of the late Michael Manley in both domestic and Foreign Policy. It appears that the PNP by their ineptitude have voluntarily succumbed and bought into the reactionary and false narrative, that Democratic Socialism is responsible for Jamaica’s socioeconomic ills. The Prime Minister Andrew Holness misleadingly told the Nation that falsehood some time ago. The socioeconomic problems experienced in the country are not as a result of the Peoples National Party (PNP) and Democratic Socialism.

When the PNP under the leadership of the late Michael Manley decided to embark on a path of progressive social development, and take some control of Jamaica’s prime natural resource, bauxite, the imperialist powers led by the United States, International Financial Institutions, the local oligarchy, and the leading media organization, carried out a systemic program of destabilization against the Manley government. The destabilization tactics were sanctioned and approved by the US government, spearheaded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which included misinformation and disruptive articles published in the leading newspaper; attacks on the economy through skyrocketing inflation, the lowering of Jamaica’s Credit Rating with International Financial Institutions; shortage of basic food items including hoarding carried out by local suppliers and retailers; demonizing and vilifying the Prime Minister, as well as  assassination attempts, and creating social unrest and chaos. The intent was to shape public opinion in undermining the Prime Minister and his government. The entire history of the period of destabilization has been well documented and can be found even on social media.

Wayne Madsen, a former U.S. Naval officer who was assigned to the National Security Agency, has a publication titled: “Almost Classified Guide to CIA Front Companies, Proprietaries and Contractors,” where he gives an extensive list of groups, organizations, companies, and media houses, which has served the CIA as a “front,“ partner or contractor. This is from page 127: “Daily Gleaner. [ CIA partner]. Jamaican national newspaper that published CIA-developed disinformation masked as legitimate news stories that were originally disseminated by the CIA’s Inter-American Press Association (IAPA).” Also on page 218: “Jamaican Shower Posse. [CIA partner]. Gang centered in the Tivoli Gardens slum of Kingston, Jamaica. It also served as the muscle behind Jamaica Labor Party leader Edward Seaga, an opponent of the pro-Cuban socialist prime minister Michael Manley. The CIA funneled weapons to the Jamaican Shower Posse to destabilize Manley’s government. The posse also smuggled drugs, tried to assassinate Manley…”

Mark Golding, President, Peoples National Party (PNP) - Photo: PNP

To argue otherwise or be afraid to even seriously discuss Democratic Socialism, is nothing less than cultivated ignorance; it flies in the face of thousands of documented evidence, that the pursuit of Democratic Socialism was pushed off-track by local enemies working for foreign powers. Despite its inherent contradictions as to the intent of Democratic Socialism, as well as the structure and function of capitalism, Democratic Socialism provides the working class with some meagre, temporary, democratic gains. These gains however, earned through social activism, does not resolve the main contradiction of capitalist society: The conflict between capital and labor – social production and private appropriation. This is an antagonistic contradiction and cannot be resolved through negotiated or patchwork means. It can only be resolved by the abolition of private ownership of the means of production and supplanted by public ownership for the benefit of all. The Peoples National Party does not want to or intend to challenge private ownership of the productive means. On that basis alone, they are incapable of taking the working class to the “promise land,” a truly socialist society.

The Jamaican “Left”: Missing In Action

Social activism, the resistance to exploitation and social injustice is what produces meaningful, sustainable, progressive socioeconomic change. Building a society of working class democracy is a painstaking and deliberate process; it calls for ideological clarity, patience, and commitment. The Left in Jamaica has “run to the hills” cowering behind their life of comfort and benefits. To paraphrase the words of one prominent Leftist from back in the day: they have gone home to drink their porridge, play with their children, and tend their garden. They have received their fifteen minutes of fame, received notoriety from being leaders of revolutionary movement, and Marxist scholars; but, in reality, they were nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. The late Fidel Castro characterized them best: “when adversity comes, we see who the real revolutionaries are.” The Jamaican Left have been driven into cowardice and the abandonment of progressive activism; they have either become restful retirees, or pontificating lecturers on social injustice.

 Some have even lamented that at this stage of their life they have no money. This begs the question: was your involvement in social activism a hustle? When you joined the struggle, were you expecting it to propel you to a life of social comfort and excesses and affluence? In my 58 years of activism, I know of not one activist who gained financial rewards from the struggle. It is not that they had made a pact with poverty, but their commitment to social justice, their genuine love and empathy for oppressed people, and their belief in the evils of capitalist exploitation, made them sacrifice any personal wealth, in the interest of creating a society rooted in social justice. Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyrere, Franz Fanon, Amilcar Cabral, Marcus Garvey, Fidel Castro, Walter Rodney, Michael Manley were not rich people; they “didn’t have money,” but they did not abandon the struggle for social justice and an equalitarian society. They left a legacy of unwavering contribution to the liberation of the oppressed. These Leftists of today or remnants of Leftists past, need to study the history of these social giants and get some inspiration. Real progressive social change does not come from collaboration with the enemy or being praised and rewarded by the enemy. It comes from direct intervention and challenging the causes and agents of social injustice. Anything less is a voluntary capitulation to the enemies of peace, working peoples democracy and progressive socioeconomic development.

Whenever you are praised, admired, and lauded  by the enemy, whenever you are not seen as an adversary, you have given up something critical; your militancy. The enemy feels comfortable with you; your actions and comments meet their approval; you represent no challenge to the system of exploitation and oppression of the working class.

The Urgent Tasks of The Moment

The ultimate critical task facing the Jamaican working class and those who are committed to social justice, is to educate, organize, and build a real Left Movement. Parliament has become a forum for theatrics; a stage of competing “one upmanship” and intellectualizing the failings of neoliberalism, while the suffering and exploitation of the working class continues. The building of working class power, calls for working assiduously while establishing and maintaining intimate contact and interaction with the working class. “Hero worship,” from the top down, and condescending leadership, are recipes for organizational and by extension, failure of the Movement.

Old colonial mindset; a media that as a collective, is ideologically bankrupt and culturally shallow; engrained individualism as a means of survival, are objective challenges that the developing Movement must face and develop strategies to overcome. Imperialism is dying and has become desperate to resuscitate itself; the countries of the Global South, are extricating themselves from imperialist dominance. It has put imperialism on “life support.” All the evidence shows that the future belongs to the former oppressed peoples; people who are gradually throwing off the yoke of capitalism. The future belongs to socialism.