Unit VI: Civil Upheaval: The Invasion of Panama & the Coup in Trinidad (6/3)

Invasion of Panama

Read 'Background' through 'Timeline' for a good overview of the US invasion of Panama from Wikipedia

CNN coverage of Operation Just Cause

President George HW Bush on the American invasion of Panama

Was it justified? Was it a 'Just Cause'?


Coup in Trinidad

Corresponding text found on  p 333-339 in Brief History of the Caribbean.

Background in Trinidad since Independence
  - importance of oil sector in Trinidad (minimum 10% of citizens employed)
  - Williams and the PNM since Chagauramas

Dr Eric Williams

  - Feb 1970 - Black Power Insurrection begins; marches, strikes, civil unrest; PNM splintering
                      Williams declares state of emergency in April
                       Junior army officers mutiny; attempt coup; stopped by Coast Guard
  - 1973 - Arab oil embargo quadruples world oil prices
  - tax revenue used to nationalize industries, subsidize goods, increase public works projects
  - 1975 - nationalizes all independent oil companies still in Trinidad; nationalizes airline industry,
                 sugar industry, water and utilities

The Texaco Refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad became a part of what is now Petrotrin

  - by early 1980s, govt employed almost 2/3 of all workers; more socialism than Jamaica under Manley
  - Williams appeared to become more autocratic and disconnected
  - March 1981 - Dr Eric Williams died; George Chambers becomes PM and head of PNM
  - By 1982, plunging oil prices drive economy into depression; unemployment soars; farm production poor
  - Trinidad ran large trade deficits
  - Chambers govt forced to raise taxes, cut spending, devalue currency, lower subsidies
  - Dec 1986 -NAR wins parliamentary elections; 1st defeat for PNM; ANR Robinson new PM
  - Robinson govt continued expense cutting measures; de-nationalized industries;
           attempted to restructure economy

ANR Robinson (right) shakes hands with fellow NAR member Basdeo Panday (left) - circa 1986

  - unified NAR began to splinter; Basdeo Panday forms UNC in April 1989
  - like Jamaica, Trinidad began to experience problems with drug trafficking in 80s and 90s

The quick and dirty on the 1990 coup from Wikipedia

Unique documentary on the 1990 coup in Trinidad

What were some of the conditions that laid the foundation for social upheaval?

Social pluralism?

Global economics?

IMF?