Painted sign on wood: “Dudus We love U!”
This sign was seen today (Monday May 24 Bank Holiday) on the left-hand side of Collymore Rock Road going towards Wildey from Bridgetown. Although badly painted, it was built as a stand up sign. For those who might not know (and I am sure you are all aware at Barbados Free Press) Dudus is the man behind the mass confusion and turmoil that Jamaica is in at the moment.
Should we in Barbados be worried about this show of solidarity with a known criminal wanted by the US so badly that his case has brought a whole island to almost a standstill and that has law-abiding citizens scared to even breathe?
I would like to think that this is a warning of things to come for us because if this is so, the powers that be can take action RIGHT NOW to put such solidarity with common criminals to rest! With an e-mail going around about the state of gangs already on the island, it does not augur well to even have one person loving Dudus! And certainly it is an affront to have this sign in full view of people from all walks of life and ages here on our island. I thought you all should know. Perhaps even try to investigate.
A very concerned citizen
PS Whilst I usually fear no one…this time I ask that my name and e-mail address be kept out of the newspapers for my own security. And that says something!
Barbados Free Press 
There is only one way to get rid of rats and other unwanted vermin……… Destroy their nest and support system………..You gotta do what you gotta do or else they run freely and all hell breaks out.
TIVOLI Gardens, the tough West Kingston base of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, is under satellite surveillance by United States authorities who are determined to have Coke extradited to answer drug- and gun-running charges in New York, the Sunday Observer has learnt.
According to a security expert with knowledge of the operation, the US has powerful audio and video evidence of activities involving Coke, as well as several Government officials, including members of the legislature, inside the Tivoli Gardens community centre.
Jamaican police enter Tivoli Gardens during an operation last year.
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With the use of Satellite Internet Telemetry System (SIMS) similar to that used to record wildlife activities, the US has captured the make, colour and licence plates of vehicles entering and exiting Tivoli Gardens at specific periods, as well as conversations, the expert said.
The SIMS, the expert said, is very simple to operate.
“Satellite service is available anywhere in the world for the system to operate. The data is transmitted from the Satellite Telemetry System based on programmed time intervals and/or alarms. It is transferred through satellite and Internet to a dedicated web page, and you can monitor and collect that data as long as you have web access,” the expert said.
“It is very simple. Set your co-ordinates, hook up your sensors, point the antenna to the sky, and turn on your equipment,” added the expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Wire-tapping communication is an insignificant part of the evidence against Coke,” said the expert in reference to Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s claim that the evidence supporting the extradition request violated the Interception of Communications Act which makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed.
Also captured, the expert said, was a gathering of some Government officials, along with individuals from the Tivoli Gardens community making and smoking what appeared to be marijuana spliffs at the centre, on different occasions.
“The United States is making sure that its case against Coke is airtight, and until he is extradited every Jamaican entering the US will be targeted. The US will not relent on this one,” said the expert who met with the Sunday Observer on Friday night.
Relations between Kingston and Washington have deteriorated over the extradition request, with the US State Department accusing the Jamaican Government of delaying tactics.
Two Mondays ago, in a scathing Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the Americans questioned Jamaica’s commitment to law enforcement co-operation and charged that “Jamaica’s processing of the extradition request has been subjected to unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US’ compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law”.
The US also said that the Jamaican Government’s handling of the extradition request marked a dramatic change in Kingston’s previous co-operation on extradition, including a temporary suspension in the processing of all other pending requests.
The US also labelled Jamaica as the Caribbean’s largest supplier of marijuana to the United States as well as a transshipment point for cocaine entering South America.
“The Government of Jamaica’s ambitious anti-corruption and anti-crime legislative agendas announced in 2007 remain stalled in Parliament,” said the report.
“Five anti-crime proposals under consideration as part of an extensive agenda to address the widespread crime challenges have yet to be debated by Parliament,” added Washington, which noted that Jamaica is a party to the 1988 United Nations Drug Convention.
However, the following day, Golding rejected the US’ charges and said that the evidence presented in the extradition request — made in August last year — breached Jamaican law.
“The Jamaican Government, rather than summarily refusing the request, discussed with the US authorities the breaches that had occurred which made it impossible for the minister (of justice), being aware of such breaches, to issue the authority to proceed,” Golding said in an address to the Parliament.
“In an effort to overcome the impediment… the Jamaican Government indicated to the US authorities that if other evidence existed, the procurement and disclosure of which were not in violation of Jamaican law, the minister would be prepared to accept that evidence and issue the necessary authority to proceed. No such evidence has up to now been presented,” he added.
On Friday, the security expert said that American border officials are turning up the heat on Jamaicans who have massive personal wealth but who have no supporting documentation to show how the wealth was gained.
A list viewed by the Sunday Observer includes some of Jamaica’s well-known officials, as well as business people of both genders. They are described as having “massive personal wealth”, which is said to have raised red flags at US borders.
The spotlight on these individuals has not come as a surprise to University of Miami Law Professor David Rowe, who remained consistent in his view that Coke is an albatross around the neck of the prime minister, the Jamaica Labour Party and the Government.
“There is no question that they are being targeted,” Rowe said. “Where the individuals have amassed wealth in a short period of time and without any corresponding income to corroborate it is an automatic red flag to the US Justice Department.”
Rowe as well as Sunday Observer sources in the US believe that embarrassing times are ahead for several Jamaican business officials at US borders, even if the Government hands over Coke.
Information reaching the Sunday Observer is that several Jamaicans who have amassed large personal wealth but who are unable to provide credible sources of income are currently in detention centres in the US.
Massive unexplained wealth is said to have been the reason behind an upstanding Jamaican businessman being detained in the US for several hours on a return trip to the island in early January.
It is also said to be the reason for the detention without bond — at Krome Avenue Detention Centre in Florida — of a Jamaican man of Chinese descent.
The man and another Jamaican/Chinese are said to have arrived in the US on March 2 on an Air Jamaica flight.
The man, whose Alien card number was supplied to the Sunday Observer, was said to have had his Green Card revoked. He did not respond to our request for an interview last Thursday.
Late last week, the influential Economist magazine reported that American authorities have become frustrated at what they see as foot-dragging by Jamaica’s Government over the Coke extradition request.
The article, titled ‘Seeking Mr Coke: American anger at Jamaica’s slowness in handing over an alleged gang boss’, said “if the United States’ allegations of political links are well-founded, some Jamaican public figures may fear that Mr Coke’s arrest would lead to the disclosure of embarrassing information”
WARNING
Signof the times!
“The Writing is on the Board”
What a shame and disgrace! The fact that this is all over the news is so tasteless. When will those in office be trusted enough to uphold the letter of the law rather than conspire to defeat it. I am absolutely FED UP with the rampant dishonesty and outlandish breaches of justice associated with our regional leaders. It is no wonder the society is in such chaos when the ethos displayed by those who we elect to guide us are seemingly more trashy than the lyrical content of some of the more popular artists. Save us from Movado/ Vybz? Heck no I say save us from these politicians!
The whole island has not been brought to almost a standstill. Life is pretty normal where I live. Typical day after a holiday vibe.
C’mon guys. Dudus does not have the whole island in turmoil. His extradition proceedings and the associated violence has created significant and threatening concerns for Kingston. Life goes on as usual elsewhere in the island. The tourist areas are not the least bit at risk. The area in turmoil is a mere 20 -25 square miles out of an island of 1100+ sq miles.
Now to the question at hand, should you be concerned … I think so. For someone to be so wanted and so researched by the us in a negative way, you guys should not have signs that beg negative attention from our associates in the North.
just sayin’
@ Dr. Busy..What do you mean by you guys? This is why these things are happening. One person in a country can do one thing, and automatically the entire country is the worst ever? How in the world can everyone keep a close eye on the other? Stop spreading things that can cause death and / or very bad trouble for an entire country! Barbados, Jamaica and who ever other Caribbean country that wants to let one man take over the world. I pray God helps all of us in this time of need and Pray that the actions of one stupid person does not cause a cancerous elimination of the countries which I love so dearly.
The entire country is being judged by the actions of one man. Although the turmoil is concentrated in one small part of the country, the impression to the outside world is that Jamaica is on fire. We see these things every day on CNN and BBC in other countries and we all know that what we see in the media is sensationalized and not a complete representation of the country. There are many parts of the country that experienced business as usual today.
There’s no doubt about it, something needs to be done about this situation. The police force and the military have been doing an excellent job. We are not sitting back and allowing criminal elements to take over our country. WE are all paying the price for mistakes of the politicians, and us as a people for not taking a stand against these injustices and atrocities. I just continue to pray for JAMAICA LAND WE LOVE and hope that whatever the outcome, the country will be a better place for all.
i hateeeeee this site
A wake up call for all Caribbean Countries who are complicit in racketeering, gun running and drug dealing. The USA have files and access to documents unimaginable. No longer is it easy to hide funds.
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Satellite Internet is indeed trasforming into a tool that can be used in many ways. I never thought about it being utilized to pick up license plates. I know the entire satellite internet industry is undergoing some major upgrades next year. I can only imagine what these upgrades will make possible. More on this topic on my blog at mybluedish.com/blog
The question is, does the US have grounds for extradition, under the existing treaties? Each nation is sovereign, right? Or so I was told. Coke, along with all major dons and cartels, as present in Mexico right now, should be stripped of the power created by the illegal drug sector through legalization and government regulations. As with food, it should be up to each individual what they put in their body. Education is mean to promote understanding, not fear, which is the message of the current drug campaign. The war on drugs never worked. Countless lives are being wasted because authorities have approached the issue with ill conceived notions.
Keep in mind that civilians and Coke constituents started being reported “murdered” after he was targeted. My words are not in support of Coke. They are meant to bring attention to the bigger questions. Coke may have cost people their lives, due to his criminal activities, but for the military and police to be slaughtering people the same; that is uncalled for.
Why would one nation suspend the traveling privileges of another’s commuting citizens, due to the crimes of one man, whom a majority of the country folks does not even know or support? It is being said that Coke never even traveled to the States before. Shouldn’t that be some kind of criteria for extradition?
LOL – You see Morris the Molester steal the story and has it page 3 on his non-compliant search engine site?
The drug king pins are large and in charge in many Caribbean nations. I know for sure that this is the case in Barbados, St. Lucia, Guyana, T&T, St. Vincent and St. Kitts. At election time our politicians would sleep with the devil and it is not uncommon for politicians to accept 1000s of dollars from these shady characters. And it must be noted that in some of these Caribbean countries many of these drug king pins are from the upper echelons of the society, in that they wine and dine regularly with the political, judicial and business leadership of the country. Their children attend the best schools, they own the biggest houses, often their women don’t work, they pay little to no taxes yet no one ever investigates them to find out how they became such successful businessmen in less than a generation. They are also the owners of legal fire arms because the police are well looked after. They are prominent members of the chamber of commerce because they also run legit businesses. We have a major mess on our hands and I do not see it going away for years to come.
Facebook has a group, “On The Ground News,” the way them operate I believe they’re the Jamaican equivalent of BFP
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You know what would we sad, if PM Bruce Golding tipped of Christopher Dudus Coke prior to the army’s raid on West Kingston. As a result Dudus has left the area and is currently in a safe area while the Jamaican army looks for a MIA Dudus while 100s of brotherin are slaughter. I hope to God this is not what is transpiring, however, Golding has proven that he is an irrational leader and is likely to err in judgement, especially when under pressure.
Bin Laden is nowhere to be found. Dudus is nowhere to be found. The grand political games are carried out with elegance. The ensuing sweep may just be an excuse to clean up the known criminal elements within the affected communities, with Coke as the poster child. If the authorities were not aware of the criminals’ operations, then on what grounds can they retain them, post detention processing?
National Intelligence
aside from the political elegance, don’t forget the stuffed dolls, posters and multi billion dollar military tech toys that go with these “don’t tell, can’t find” mythologies?
Rioting in the streets discourages tourism. You only have to look at what has happened in Greece lately, where recent riots in Athens over their financial crisis, have reduced the tourist bookings for the summer ahead by at least 25%. Spain’s just about to go into that same rioting. The result in the UK is that even though families can never expect a lovely summer, British holiday bookings are booming and booked out, as a result of fears due to the disruption and violence in their favourite holiday destinations. Even if the violence in Jamaica is localised, nobody wants to get involved in that on their holiday.
Yes, the volcanic ash has to be a consideration and the weak pound, but why would anybody want to go on a long saved for family holiday to a place where you just don’t know what might be happening on the streets?
I’m against this whole Big Brother thing with satellite surveillance etc. but maybe at this time it might work to stop some of the gang action. At least they might think a bit harder about their activities.
It’s a worry that these gangs are happily represented in Barbados and we would like to know that our own government can be a bit more strict about who comes in and out.
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Police and Thieves. 34 yrs later and the song is still very relevant with a touch of U.S Foreign policy.
Unless people like Dudus are brought to justice there will be no law and order in the Caribbean. He and those like him are a menace to society in all islands. The fact that he buys his support through food, shoes and so on does not make him a “good or benevolent” man. Those who support him are doing so because he gives them favours AND they know that to speak against him is certain punishment – no appeals allowed.
It is possible that Golding did tip him off long before he took the decision to approve the extradition. It would not be the first time it has happened in the Caribbean. Some years ago, a French citizen, wanted in one of our close neighbours, was on the eve of arrest by the authorities, when he slipped away on the night before under the noses of the local authorities. Don’t think it can’t happen again, anywhere.
Barbados has its own ‘dons’ and ‘Dudus’ on a smaller but equally dangerous scale. The Government needs to be serious about dealing with them and bring them to justice.
It is instructive is it not that a hastily written sign appears publicly at Collymore Rock in Barbados providing succour to and purporting to support a Jamaican gangster whose writ appears to run extensively in the Kingston ghetto of Tivoli Gardens. What we are experiencing here is warped sentiment being extended to specious thug glamour and criminality.
We are a copycat folk, too many of us are instantly impressed by external trivia and the regressive elements of other peoples cultures especially that of north America.
A significant sector of young Bajans but not exclusively so have been and are seduced by the homophobic, and misogynistic music of African/American rap stars, Jamaican reggae/dub artists and their lifestyles.
Rihanna in her early career one thought was likely to be different and of some artistic and creative substance. But this was not to be. This young woman the most famous Bajan on the planet have become mere production line fodder, a R&B female bump and grind clone, sexually gryrating on stage in semi pornographic attire and warbling mostly forgettable songs churned out by scribes for the corporate music industry, the Lil Kims, the Beyonce’s, Britney Spears et al. Rihanna is certainly no Corinne Bailey Rae or Alicia Keys.
She has managed to attract to herself dysfunctional boneheaded black men and has chosen to adorn her body with gun tatoos oblivious no doubt to the mayhem that these weapons are causing to black communities in the Caribbean. America, Canada, the United Kingdom and of course in the frightful ghetto of Tivoli Gardens in Kingston.
Reading and listening to a number of journalistic reports of recent coming out of Jamaica, many of the ghetto poor are already presenting and promoting the munificence and benevolence of Dudus Coke, how well read and educated he is, his intelligence, his business acumen and a gentle soul who provides for and looks after his community.
It would be laughable indeed if the situation were not so potentially catastrophic for the Jamaican state and it’s people. Myths are already being concocted and a brutal and no doubt psychopathic thug is lauded as a black Robin Hood of Kingston.
In an incisive article titled Religion and the New African/Americans Intellectuals Norm R Allen Jr.of (African /Americans for Humanism) wrote about blacks who support blacks who are engaged in unsavoury and criminal activities, or reactionary politics despite the detriment to the well being of their black fellow citizens.
He cites two examples to be illustrative, Judge Clarence Thomas of the US Supreme Court, (re the Anita Hill hearings) and the reactionary black nationalist politics of
Louis Farrakan and the Black Muslims.
The misguided scribblings at Collymore Rock giving support to a mini gangster in a Jamaican ghetto is but similar only writ minuscule in a minuscule tourist island.
the system is stink and rotten and all politicians are at risk.only god can correct all these crippling things, the rich will always try to keep down the poor, the poor must not get rich. toomuch wickedness in this world it s better we just lie down and call the rich to come and eat us all.
its now over 150 poor people killed by the jamaican police and soldiers in tivoli garden, dont mention the others in other areas, i am talking innocent people, i dont know how much criminals got killed, these are like earthquake victims councillor mckenzie was preparing the mass graves for, it seems as if this wicked act was well plan.
At it’s onset, and going on still, there are some in the reporting community perpetuating the idea that those dressed in white, during Monday’s Labor Day march was in support of Dudus. From some selected images, there were obvious supporters, but not all should be considered as such.
Historically, in some nations, the working class allocate a day in the year to grant the working class civic space to show solidarity in working to uplift their communities, and a day of voluntary community participation to beneficial projects. Jamaica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Day
Though not a political stage, symbolized by the white attire, being a preferred demilitarized zone(but security enforced for pedestrian safety) people are given the liberty to voice their concerns.
Often case, signs are utilized in conveying a message, as chanting gets tiring. Labor day is a gathering of all walks of society in honor of what is done to uphold the real world around us.
Do not confuse a true cause with Dudu.
America should not cause a problem that the whole jamaica will not be able to resolve as they are going about Dudu’s extadition because the most highly dreaded drug gangs are in the US ..I just want to implore all blacks in Jamaica to remember there is no place like home as they should all look back and think of repatraition to mother land Africa because as time goes on America will make everywhere hell for people to live but upon mount Zion shall there be peace…Soon America will Question your hard earn riches and wealth claiming they are the superior and if you’re unable to defend yourself and your hard built empire properly your entire world may be going down the drain….If there is no secret of America with Dudu America will not be after him and be killling innocent ghetto youth searching and scrambling for survival…Take a look at what is going on with the world economic financial power house as it going bankruptcy and this is really giving America sleepless night as they mostly and solely depend on the entire rest of the world for survival..Black man know yourself in all doing remember home is home and when foreign land is becoming unhabitable try and head back home to establish yourself…A word is enough for the wise…The wise who truly care to listen.
Bajans are a bunch of idiots. I was born there but I find that the people are lost. I went there a few years ago and trust me it was my very last visit. “Dudus we love you”…please. Stop trying to be what you are not. Stop trying to speak like Jamaicans, adopt their ways, issues and whatever else, as it is yours. Last I read, Bajans were attempting to throw themselves in the Gaza / Gully bull. Jamaicans could not give a rat’s arse about Bajans and rightly so. Bunch of fools.
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we only have to turn a blind eye to the growing guns/ganja/cocaine trade in bim. dont forget that the free movement of caricom people means free movt of criminals as well.
the incidence of poverty, the materialistic nature of our society, the failure of social institutions to offer opportunities to youth, the classism perpetuated by the education system are but some of the causes of the current rot epitomised in the glorification of the outlaw.
while jamaica’s political, social and economic situation(40 +yrs in the making) has emboldened the gangster to the point where he calls the shots literally, we should be concerned with the spread of the poorly educated, angry young men and women who see sex,drugs,gambling,guns and money as the solution to their anger. we see it in the schools, we hear it in the awful music that the radio jocks spin, in the licentiousness of the communities buried under the pall of the wayside churches. a warning to the wise among us “when yuh neighbour house burning, yuh wet yuh own.”
For someone to be so wanted and so researched by the us in a negative way, you guys should not have signs that beg negative attention from our associates in the North.
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