Former U.S. President James Earl ‘Jimmy’ Carter Jr. died at 100. Immediately after taking power, the Carter administration shifted U.S. policy in the region to one of increased attention, especially towards Jamaica.
Jamaica’s former Prime Minister Mr. Michael Norman Manley democratic socialism and his cordial relations with President Fidel Castro of Cuba are considered non-aligned. Issues between the Soviet Union and the West have been deemed problematic by the Nixon and Ford administrations. The Carter administration regarded Mr. Manley not merely as a Caribbean leader, but as an articulate and effective spokesman for all the developing nations, a rule that was recognized when he was elected Chairman of the group of 77.
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President Carter sent his wife, Rosalyn, on her first diplomatic visit to the Western Hemisphere, starting with a visit to Jamaica in May.
On May 30th, 1977, Mrs. Rosalynn Carter met with Michael Manley in Kingston, Jamaica, where they both discussed finances, Cuba, Panama, and human rights. The discussion was characterized as brisk and very substantive, including trade policy and Jamaica’s financial difficulties.
The Manley administration was under constant attack by the Nixon and Ford administrations, and Michael Manley despised Secretary of State Henry Kissinger because he felt he was untrustworthy. Violence then started to creep into the local political policy in an ugly manner.
In representing the Carter administration Mrs. Carter made the point that she had studied the president’s basic foreign policy, which he said she would. She would be stressing about her visit with the heads of state and consulting with them to bring their views directly to the president. Manley in addressing Mrs. Carter said, “We have watched with very great Interest the administration of the United States under the leadership of your distinguished husband, the President, Jimmy Carter, and we have watched the new approaches to international affairs and are greatly encouraged to feel that they may have great significance to the people of the world.”
President Carter’s administration looked for a good relationship with Michael Manley. He was the fourth head of government of Latin America to make an individual visit to Washington to meet with President Carter and announced a 63 million package to benefit the lower income groups in Jamaica.
Through the connection with Ambassador Andrew Young Carter’s ambassador to the UN, the Carter administration worked effectively with Michael Manley on international issues of interest to the United States. They were able to mobilize strong support for several issues at the UN and international treaties, particularly that of the Panama Canal Treaty, where Michael Manley’s connection and Jamaica’s interest in the region was very helpful in navigating some of the difficult issues around the Panama Canal treaty.
Andrew Young always commented on the role of Michael Manley, PJ Patterson, and others in Panama Canal and some of these international initiatives that the US was engaged in.
When the Jamaica Progressive League in the US launched a fundraising effort for the Jamaica House project, Mrs. Carter lent her name to the project, and the ambassador, Andrew Young, played a significant role in that effort when the organization was fighting racial discrimination, to the owning of properties in New York.
President Carter was a great president, a man of impeccable integrity, one who Jamaica was fortunate to have as a friend. The significant role he played in the Western Hemisphere and the alliances that he pulled together with Michael Manley and several other Western Hemisphere leaders had brought about an enlightened policy in the region rather than one of fear and suspicion.
President Carter returned to Jamaica as part of the Carter Center, monitoring the elections in the country, and was welcomed. Through the Carter Center, he made special projects in Jamaica to, “strengthen electoral practices and increase government transparency. Waging Peace,” according to the Carter Center website. President Carter’s work and efforts live on his reputation as one of tremendous admiration and feeling. Let the world be a better place because of President Carter and his efforts. The world has lost a truly great man, and Jamaicans and Caribbean members of the Western Hemisphere should pay a particular tribute because he had such an enlightened policy that had a great impact on the region.
