Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness said on Wednesday that he prays daily for Jamaica as the country navigates uncertain times, stressing that his responsibility is to safeguard the nation and avoid unnecessary risks.
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Speaking at Jamaica’s National Day of Prayer on January 7, Holness described the current moment as one of “changing times, uncertain times, uncharted waters in many instances,” adding that his role as steward of the nation is “to keep Jamaica safe, not to steer into waters for which we don’t have to go.”
“Not to invite problems on ourselves when we have our own problems to deal with,” he said, noting that Jamaica’s cautious approach does not represent a retreat from principles or responsibilities.
“This is not us recoiling from our principles and duties. Jamaica has always been consistent, and we have always been a strong voice of reason for small developing countries globally, and we continue to be,” Holness said.
He emphasized that Jamaica’s positions on international issues are long-standing and carefully considered. “Persons who comment on these issues would only need to do a cursory review to see the positions that Jamaica has taken and continues to take. Jamaica has already taken its position long before others would have sought to enunciate what they believe is the correct position.”
Holness expressed gratitude for divine guidance in steering the country through “turbulent geopolitical and geoeconomic times,” promising to continue navigating challenges skillfully and responsibly. “We have navigated those waters very carefully, very skillfully, and we will bring the ship of the Jamaican state to the destination of prosperity for which God has ordained,” he said.
Holness’s remarks were likely influenced by recent regional developments that have heightened uncertainty in the Caribbean. In early January, a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela resulted in the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an action that has had ripple effects across the region. The operation prompted temporary airspace closures and disrupted flights across much of the eastern Caribbean.
At the same time, heightened U.S. immigration policy and visa measures have stirred debate and concern across several Caribbean nations. Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica were added to a U.S. list requiring some travelers to post visa bonds of up to US$15,000, part of a series of new requirements tied to broader U.S. immigration and security policy that has drawn criticism from regional leaders and analysts.
Shortly thereafter, the United States reached a deal with both countries to begin sending certain foreign nationals seeking U.S. asylum to the small island nations.
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In a press release issued following his remarks, Prime Minister Holness emphasized that Jamaica is operating “in a complex global environment characterized by instability and overlapping crises that require steady leadership and careful decision-making.”