The Fifth Summit of the Americas has come to an end. Members of the foreign press have had their fill of doubles and dhalpurie. The Mighty Sparrow wowed his audience at the Summit of Culture at Queen's Park Savannah. Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago signed the declaration of Port-of-Spain. Everyone has heard about "the book" that Hugo Chavez gave to Obama. And we've read all about the change in tone toward Cuba. But one nagging question remains. What exactly did Trinidad and Tobago get?
Crime and Regional SecurityIn an opinion piece prior to the Summit's opening, I urged Caribbean leaders and heads of state to address the issue of criminal deportees and the impact on security in the region. On opening day of the Summit, it was reported that President Obama would hold bilateral talks with CARICOM leaders on the issue of criminal deportees. One day later, it was announced that President Obama had pledged $30million to help fight crime in the region. By the end of the Summit, official word was that CARICOM leaders would meet with President Obama later this year in Washington, DC to talk about crime. These are encouraging developments. Let me re-emphasize, however, that no discussion about crime in the Caribbean would be complete unless discussants are prepared to confront, head on, the trends in criminal deportation of Caribbean nationals by the US government.
Quality of LifeYes indeed, some residents of Trinidad enjoyed something of a windfall when the government engaged in pre-summit beautification plans along Churchill Roosevelt and Beetham Highways. But the local residents were not the intended primary beneficiaries. Preparations were meant to impress guests of honor and visiting dignitaries. The official cost of hosting the Summit is yet to be determined. Government estimates put the figure at $632 million. Needless to say, there is much debate about whether this was the best allocation of resources, given the state not only of the global economy, but also the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. Just ask Basdeo Panday, leader of the opposition. Although Mr. Panday was invited to attend the Summit, he burned the invitation and refused to attend the opening ceremony, all as a show of protest.
Setting the Tone for Hemispheric RelationsAs host nation of the Summit, it was projected that Trinidad would be able to set the tone for hemispheric relations in the years ahead. But that was before Cuba stole the spotlight, upstaging Trinidad, even though Cuba was not even present at the Summit. The buzz in foreign policy circles is all about the dawn of a new era for Cuba. There were photos of President Obama shaking hands with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela; and photos of President Obama signing a copy of his book for President Tillman Thomas of Grenada. But I was hard pressed to find a photo of President Obama with Prime Minister Manning of Trinidad and Tobago.Wealth Creation and TourismIt was projected that, by hosting the Summit, Trinidad and Tobago stood to gain greater standing as a tourist destination. But really, all of the Summit-related events were staged in Trinidad, eclipsing Tobago as a venue. I could not help but wonder about the prevailing mood in tourism circles in Tobago. So I posed the question to Pierre Small, a concerned citizen who frequently blogs about the issue. In an email exchange he wrote, "The Tobago tourism industry as a homogeneous group has been despondent with the Summit and tourism leadership. They felt by and large shut out from the Summit. Compounding Tobago's disappointment is the fact that this period being Tobago's peak tourism season, hotel occupancy was down to a humiliating 30%, bearing in mind Tobago's hotels require an 85% occupancy level just to break even. The government's response at all levels to this catastrophe has been dismal. Further, the cancellation of the Jazz Festival created a horrendous psychological and economic impact, not only for stakeholders, but to the citizens of Tobago." So how will Tobago come to terms with being passed over? This 'slight' can have repercussions for future tourism ventures in Tobago. According to Pierre, "It alienated many stakeholders, created rifts and divisions among them and showed the disconnect between stakeholders, the THA, TDC and central government in Port-of-Spain. This will not help to promote dialogue between stakeholders and tourism officials. The tourism stakeholders should have a greater say in formulating strategy. One can only hope that reasoning would prevail and the tourism officials would get down from their pedestal and listen to the stakeholders' perspective and act wisely. Our tourism officials have always displayed an aura of arrogance, that they know it all and everyone else's opinions are subordinate factors. Very frightening indeed and typical of a third world mentality."
In the weeks ahead, as the government of Trinidad and Tobago and Summit organizers keep score and compile their report card, let's be sure that the correct indices are used when measuring success.