Exploring Transitions in Party Politics in Grenada, 1984–2013

One of the consequences of the demise of the Grenada Revolution and the US invasion of Grenada in 1983 was the formation of a new political party architecture to break with the past to rid Grenada of the vestiges of the revolution and the Eric Gairy regime that preceded it. The new architecture was intended to transcend authoritarianism, intra-party conflict and political violence to turn Grenada into a showcase for democracy and free enterprise. This chapter maps the contours of party politics in post-revolutionary Grenada. It argues that Grenada has transitioned to formal democracy but has not yet achieved deeper substantive democracy. The chapter teases out lessons from the Grenada case for democratic renewal in the Caribbean.

The Spirit and Ideas of Maurice Bishop Are Alive in Our Caribbean Civilization

This chapter reproduces a speech by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the occasion of the naming of the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) in Grenada in May, 2009. Gonsalves argues that the spirit and ideas of Maurice Bishop are alive and flourishing among the people of Grenada and the Caribbean. He applauds the naming of the airport as an act of the Grenadian people ‘coming home to themselves out of their agony and compromises, their pain and joys, and their triumphs and defeats of the past.’

The Challenges for Revolutionary Change in the Caribbean

This chapter analyses the challenges for revolutionary change in the Caribbean. It examines critical concepts such as memory, self-organization, self-emancipation and fractal theories of revolution. It focuses on four revolutions: the Haitian, Cuban, Rastafarian and Grenadian revolutions and counter revolutions and seeks to conceptualize revolutionary change for the next twenty-five years by shedding light on the Zapatistas to the Bolivarian Revolution.

Grenada, 1949–1979: Precursor to Revolution

March 12, 1979, was the end of a pivotal period in Grenada’s modern contemporary history, which began with Gairy’s arrival in December, 1949, and ended with his departure from Grenada in March, 1979. This chapter discusses the rise and eventual fall of Eric Gairy, the rise of Maurice Bishop as a public figure, leading to the consolidation of the Grenada Revolution in 1979. It weaves together three decades of authoritarianism, conflict and resistance that shaped Grenada’s historical path.

Introduction

This chapter provides the broad framework for the volume. It introduces the reader to the principal aim and purpose of the work. It discusses the Grenada Revolution from various perspectives and raises probing questions about that Cold War, Caribbean radicalism and the significance of the Grenada Revolution and the US invasion as a critical period in the post-colonial experience of the Caribbean. It then outlines the various chapter themes.

C. L. R. James and the Grenada Revolution: Lessons Learned and Future Possibilities

Many of the theoretical assumptions and tactical approaches of the Grenada revolution were rooted in the experiences of early twentieth century Russia. The internal debates within the Grenada Revolution largely ignored the pre-and post-Stalin theoretical debates within Communism, and showed little awareness of original Caribbean Marxist thought. This was reflected in the limited impact of the Caribbean’s foremost Marxist theoretician, C.L.R. James, on the revolutionary process in Grenada, despite the fact that James’ theoretical contributions addressed concerns which bore direct relevance to the later implosion of the Grenada Revolution, and to a post-Stalinist global Marxism. This chapter therefore seeks to apply the theoretical insights of C.L.R. James to understanding the lessons of the collapse of the Grenada Revolution and in pointing the way towards the possibilities of a future anti-systemic project in the Caribbean.

Grenada Once Again: Revisiting the 1983 Crisis and Collapse of the Grenada Revolution

The twenty-fifth anniversary in October, 2008, of the tragic killing of Maurice Bishop and his associates and the subsequent invasion of Grenada, followed closely by the release on September 5, 2009, of Bernard Coard and the six remaining prisoners convicted of his murder, has been cause for a flurry of new conferences, papers, letters and communiqués on the Grenada Revolution and its tragic demise. Following the September release of the Seven, things picked up pace. Thankfully, many of the letters on the ubiquitous websites and email circuits, particularly those written by Grenadians, suggested wariness with the recriminatory monologues that have been typical of many reflections on the tragedy. Understandably, all commentaries did not comply with this tone. This chapter revisits the 1983 crisis and collapse of the Grenada Revolution and the various narratives which shape the discourse.

The Grenada Revolution and the Caribbean Left: The Case of the Guyana Working People’s Alliance

The politics of most Caribbean Left parties were influenced by the experience of the Grenada Revolution and its ultimate demise. This chapter examines the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) of Guyana, one of the parties with close ties to the New Jewel Movement (NJM), the party that led the revolution. The chapter looks at the relationship between the NJM and WPA before and during the revolution, including the impact of the revolution on the WPA’s fight against the Forbes Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) dictatorship in Guyana. Finally, it draws a connection between the demise of the revolution in October, 1983, and the shift in the WPA’s tactics and strategy in the period following the demise.

A Retrospective View from Richmond Hill: An Interview with Bernard Coard

This chapter reproduces an interview conducted with Bernard Coard prior to his release from prison in 2009. In this interview, Coard reflects on the radical 1970s in the Caribbean and throughout the Third World. He centers the anti-Gairy struggle in Grenada within the larger anti-imperialist and anti-dictatorial struggles of the Caribbean Left. He points to the highs and lows of the 1979-83 period and argues that, despite committing fratricide, the revolution has placed its stamp on Grenada and the Caribbean that is indelible as it is permanent. He admits, however, that the revolutionaries made many grave errors.

Grenada: Socioeconomic Overview, 1960–2012

The chapter reviews economic policy and performance during the era of the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG). It provides an overview of the economic environment during the Gairy era to help explain some of the possible causal antecedents (from an economic perspective) of the PRG’s insurrection in October, 1979, and why they would have pursued economic development differently from Gairy. It also discusses several aspects of development planning and policy as well as the performances of the four key economic sectors (real, fiscal, monetary and external) during 1979-83. A salient finding is that notwithstanding extensive social programs, the pursuit of a mixed economy model approach to development in an inherently and deeply-entrenched capitalist economic structure mitigated against the attainment of meaningful development results. The chapter ends with a discussion of some lessons evinced from the PRG’s experience that might be relevant for contemporary economic policy and management.