Between 1795 and 1797, there was a displacement of the inhabitants of St. Vincent , who were taken to the Continental by the metropolitan authorities, firstly to one of the islands of Honduras and subsequently to Nicaragua , Belize Guatemala and Costa Rica .

The process of populating the eastern region of Central America was developed under the same systems of the island territories, based on the sugar industry, then on the banana plantations and much later, on the exploitation of precious woods.

Another characteristic of that zone is that through the isolation of the Caribbean coast of Central America , at certain periods, there were black peoples who remained autonomous, without any European presence, as a result of which they managed to establish their own traditions.

From the 1880’s, the economic structure of the zone entered into a process of greater metropolitan control, since English domination was established and was joined by the new imperial force of the United States of America, which burst into the zone with extreme force. That period experienced the development of the banana and lumber economy, for which it was necessary to import labour from the islands, mainly from Barbados , Jamaica , the Cayman Islands and San Andrés.

However, the depression of the 1930’s affected the economic development of the plantations, just as in most Caribbean countries and from that moment, the zone began to experience an economic decline that drove the population into poverty, which still persists in that region. This gave rise to a trend of internal emigration to the capitals of their respective Central American countries and another trend toward the exterior, primarily to the United States .

Today, those years of colonial exploitation are reflected in the conditions of existence of the Garifunas, who are recognised as an excluded and isolated people, which socially, makes them highly vulnerable. It is as a result of this that the governments of the region are expressing growing interest in helping the Garifunas to overcome the ills that affect them. That explains the Central American Summit to commemorate two hundred and ten years of Garifuna presence in Central America , which was held on April 10 in Honduras .

In that vein and in keeping with the intergovernmental interest expressed, the Association of Caribbean States is promoting the project “The Social, Cultural and Economic Integration of the Afro-Caribbean and Garifuna Communities of Central America”.

Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments and reactions can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org

April 19, 2007