Roots of Jamaican Political Violence

Jamaica Labor Party, headed by Alexander Bustamante used conservative nationalism and created the framework for political violence. This political structure was further corrupted and exploited by both political parties over the years, thus encouraging loyal grassroots supporters to engage in violence in order to maintain power and win elections.

According to Williams(2011) dissertation entitled The Evolution of Political Violence in Jamaica 1940-1980, Manley’s collusion in violence via party supporters was evident in his testimony before the Hearne Commission in 1949 when he stated that “actually what happened was when you got your representatives at trouble spots, the trouble stopped. Of course, at times things developed into a fight.” Based on Manley’s statement, it is evident that he was aware of violence via the defensive actions of loyal party supporters in the 1949 election. By 1960, gang violence became equal to the high death rate, rise in gun violence, and hypocritical politicians who refused to acknowledge their role in propagating violence.

By independence in 1962, Norman Manley claimed victory for advancing Jamaica from a colony to independence while reminiscing on his tenure in office, and claimed that the country’s infrastructure was stronger due to his economic programs. However, despite these achievements, political violence persisted. In the 1940s, both Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley though they are forefathers of modern Jamaican politics they engaged in political deception to win elections, and developed the framework for political violence in Jamaica.

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