NEW YORK, United States — Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Oliver Mair, has dismissed social media claims that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was denied diplomatic courtesies during his recent visit to the United States, insisting that the Jamaican leader received the appropriate treatment and security arrangements throughout his stay.
Mair described the online reports as “false and mischievous,” rejecting suggestions that Holness was required to wait in routine immigration lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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“The online posts are both false and mischievous. There is never a time that the prime minister arrives in the United States where he is not afforded full courtesies by the United States government,” Mair told The Jamaica Gleaner.
The reports circulated alongside social media posts purporting to show Holness waiting at the airport during his recent visit to New York.
Mair explained that the Prime Minister’s US visits are coordinated in advance with the US Secret Service, which oversees security arrangements and movements while he is in the country. He said planning meetings are held before each visit to coordinate the Prime Minister’s protection detail, transportation and access to scheduled venues.
According to Mair, Secret Service personnel meet Holness and his delegation at the aircraft door, check their documents and escort them through the airport to designated vehicles.
“They are involved in every detail of his visit. Members of the delegation are pinned to allow for access to the prime minister once he is in the custody of the Secret Service, and every venue is swept before his arrival,” he said.
Mair maintained that Holness does not use the regular immigration checkpoints or wait in routine lines because arrangements are made to facilitate his arrival and departure.
“I am with the prime minister every step of his visit, and he does not go through the normal checkpoints,” he said.
He added that the Prime Minister may board his aircraft first or last, depending on the arrangements. Any pause for document checks before boarding, he explained, should not be mistaken for waiting in ordinary airport queues.
Mair also rejected suggestions that the reports reflected a breakdown in relations between the Jamaican and US governments. He reaffirmed that Washington continued to extend the appropriate courtesies to Holness and his delegation.
The consul general noted that the Prime Minister travels with his own security personnel, whose presence and movements must also be coordinated with the US Secret Service.
Holness visited New York from October 15 to 17, 2026. The Jamaican Consulate General said Mair and members of his team accompanied the Prime Minister throughout the visit and thanked US officials for their assistance.
The controversy highlights how images and claims circulating on social media can prompt questions about diplomatic protocol. Mair urged the public not to accept the allegations as evidence that Holness had been denied the courtesies afforded to visiting leaders.
