Caribbean leaders agree on plan to ban assault-style weapons
Caribbean Group leaders have agreed on plans to introduce bans of their nations on assault-style weapons largely manufactured within the US to curb spikes in gun violence and weapons smuggling within the 15-nation Caricom bloc.
The choice got here late Tuesday on the finish of a two-day summit in Trinidad on crime. The bans would require a mixture of laws and modifications in licensing rules.
The Caribbean leaders had known as a roundtable on the problem amid complaints from a number of governments about a rise in gangland violence, bolstered by the provision of high-powered, military-style weapons smuggled largely from the US.
Jamaica, Trinidad, The Bahamas, St Lucia and Barbados have all complained about a rise in gun murders in recent times.
“Caricom heads have agreed right this moment to take a call to ban the use and presence of assault weapons within the civilian inhabitants of our nations,” host Prime Minister Keith Rowley informed reporters on the finish of the summit, attended by a majority of heads of presidency.
The transfer got here just some weeks after a number of member nations introduced plans to affix with Mexico to sue American gun producers over the weapons smuggled into their nations.
Bahamian Prime Minister and Caricom Chairman Phillip Davis informed the summit that in his nation 98.6 per cent of recovered unlawful firearms may very well be traced to america, in Haiti 87.7 per cent and in Jamaica 67 per cent.
“Jamaica had a staggering murder price of 52.9 per 100,000 inhabitants,” he mentioned, as in contrast with the worldwide common of about 7.5 per 100,000.
Nevertheless, Davis didn’t have figures on what proportion of the seized weapons had been assault-style weapons versus handguns or different weapons that may be unaffected by this week’s proposed ban.
Rowley mentioned nations within the Caribbean would wish laws to assist the ban, and he known as on opposition events all through the area to assist any parliamentary motion by their governments.
He famous that the Caribbean leaders have requested US President Joe Biden for dialogue on the weapons problem.
AP/