Jamaica: Different Drug War, Different Strategy

A state of emergency was declared in certain areas of Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday, as violence broke out over the extradition of accused drug lord and local hero Christopher “Dudus” Coke. Coke is the alleged head of the “Shower Posse,” a gang that has committed scores of drug-related murders in both Jamaica and the United States since the 1980s. Washington is seeking the extradition of Coke based on charges lodged in the U.S. for trafficking in drugs and weapons.

The original request for extradition was made more than nine months ago, but until very recently Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his party, the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP), had dragged their feet when it came to handing Coke over to U.S. authorities. When Golding, pressured by Washington, reluctantly changed his mind and agreed to Coke’s extradition; residents of the JLP-controlled Kingston neighborhood Tivoli Gardens, Coke’s power base, exploded in protest.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Katherine Haas