CARICOM nations laud Supreme Court gun decision

Several Caribbean Community nations say they are looking forward to the next phase in international efforts to hold American gun manufacturers responsible for their products after a court ruled that Mexico can in fact go ahead and sue them.

Mexico, which has seen an alarming spike in violent crime and narco trafficking activity and murders, had been exploring the possibility of finding a legal way to confront American manufacturers whom it accuses of knowingly selling weapons to straw buyers to then smuggle the guns into Mexico and Caribbean nations, causing mayhem and pain. Mexico had asked CARICOM nations to join in the suit as interested parties. Several including Trinidad and The Bahamas did and they are now elated.

The recent decision by a federal appeals court reversed the decision of a district court which had in 2022 dismissed the lawsuit by Mexico claiming that the manufacturers were shielded by by “the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.”

But the Mexicans pressed on and sought and won relief First Circuit of the Court of Appeal as it reversed the original ruling and cleared the way for manufacturers to face lawsuits relating to what they produce on a daily basis.

The fact that the case will now move forward is gratifying and encouraging,” The Bahamian Security Minister Wayne Munroe told reporters. “Of course, in any litigation you often have settlements, and so a part of the case the Mexicans put is that Smith and Wesson should be more responsible in not supplying people who they know may be selling to straw purchasers. I think the prime minister’s decision and the government’s decision, is vindicated by this decision and we look forward to the further conduct of the matter.”

Reacting positively as well was Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley. He said the ruling even at this stage should push manufacturers to act more responsible.

“I feel satisfied that it was a good thing for Trinidad and Tobago to align itself with the arguments and the Mexican lawsuit because we face the same problem that Mexico is complaining about. Whatever the final outcome of this lawsuit, because it is a complaint filed by sovereign states being taken up by the US judicial system, this will certainly cause gun manufacturers and distributors in the US to pay attention and take pause as they shovel volumes of dangerous items into our countries,” Rowley told the Express newspaper. This is even as he criticized the main opposition party for not supporting the effort.

Leaders had discussed the issue and the lobby for regional support at their summit in The Bahamas a year ago even as a number of regional bloc members states- chief among them-Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad are reeling with gun violence linked gang and other activity. St. Lucia, The Bahamas, St. Vincent and Barbados have also been complaining about spikes in illegal gun uses.

Bahamian Prime Minister Phillip Davis had complained that 90 percent of guns involved in crime at home had come directly from the US.  The decision in the case had come around the same period of stepped up cooperation between the US and the Caribbean, resulting in a number of arrests of US-based Caribbean smugglers attempting to ship large quantities of weapons to the region.