Cuba and Jamaica in rift over drug trafficking

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More from WikiLeaks: A US diplomat in Havana wrote about a growing rift between Cuba and Jamaica about anti-drug trafficking efforts. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with BBC correspondent Karen Madden James in Jamaica. Download MP3

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Lisa Mullins: I’m Lisa Mullins and this is the world. There’s seemingly no end to the juicy diplomatic tidbits we’re getting to nibble on, courtesy of wiki leaks. Here’s one of the latest. It comes from a U.S. diplomat in Havana. He wrote about a growing rift between Cuba and Jamaica over anti- drug trafficking effort. Apparently Cuban officials complained to the United States, that Jamaicans are doing nothing to stop smugglers who use Cuban airspace and waters to transport drugs destined for the U.S. As information feeds the suspicion that the traffickers have bought the cooperation of Jamaican politicians and law enforcer’s. Karen Madden James is the BBC correspondent in Jamaica she’s now in Kingston. What has been the reaction there in Kingston to these leaked cables?

Karen Madden James: Well, the initial reaction from the government has been a very defensive stance. They have said they will issue a full sum, official response, later today. However the initial response has been one that, look, we have always cooperated with the U.S. government’s fight against drugs. We have no official that any government officer or agency is involved in drug smuggling. So right now, we are, we the media that is, in wait and see mode, to get that response from the government.

Mullins: Does this indeed though, feed into the allegations in the past there is some kind of involvement among Jamaican politicians and law enforcers in this kind of drug smuggling activity.

James: It’s certainly does [??], uh this coming on the heels of the whole, Christopher did us cold ex-tradition of fear, and accusation from elsewhere that the government has not done enough, and in fact, government sources, government officers are involved in the illegal trade. This is not good news for them.

Mullins: Well you mentioned there, Karen, uh, Christopher’s Dudas coke, this is a man, a drug lord who we’ve reported on the past, who was arrested in June after a violent man hunt. The delay in getting him was due to, it’s been said at least said at least political connections and i wonder if there’s any information in the leaked cables from Wiki leaks about the case of this particular man Christopher Dudas Coke.

James: Not as yet but can’t I tell you, Lisa, that ever since this whole Wiki Leaks thing came to Jamaica knowledge. Most people have been saying there must be a cable concerning this particular issue. But so far, nothing has been leaked, nothing has come to our attention.

Mullins: Thank you, very much, Karen Madden James, BBC correspondent in Kingston Jamaica, thanks.

James: OK Lisa.

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