Mongooses, homegrown ackee, and tales of Jamaica's political violence

Resistance, Resilience, and Revolution

Jamaica was colonized by Spain and Britain for the majority of its history. A gradual evolution of their politics and growing resistance movements led them to full independence in 1962. After that, the country entered a period of political turmoil as its people clashed over the best path forward.

Given the height of the Cold War, the USSR and the USA funded and armed political parties in an attempt to align Jamaica's trajectory with their own interests. This, among other things, fueled decades of urban warfare. Hundreds died from political violence, primarily between the 60s and 80s.

I was staying with my friend's grandma, who has lived in Jamaica her entire life. She remembers turning off the lights in her house and lying on the floor to survive election nights. She would listen quietly for the election results on her TV to know whether it was safe to get up.

As recently as 2010, the Shower Posse -- one of the gangs widely alleged to have been armed and trained by the CIA -- stood off with Jamaica's military and police forces for days in what is known as the Tivoli Incursion. Over 70 people died, 700 were arrested, and 2 police stations were burnt down.

Tivoli Incursion, 2010

Jamaica continued to experience issues of political corruption, crime, and poverty. In some areas, police didn't respond to emergencies fairly, or at all. Bribery was rampant, and citizens sometimes turned to gangs to provide for and protect their communities because they didn't trust local police.

Some of these problems still persist today.

Sheet metal shacks. Poor infrastructure. Almost every property surrounded with barbed wire, or fenced in somehow.

There were a few times where electricity would shut off spontaneously in restaurants and stores. Sometimes, water would run out. To shower, we would briefly rinse, turn it off in between to conserve water, and repeat until we were finished.

All of this was fairly normal depending on the neighborhood.

But Jamaica's government and its people have built historic levels of resiliency, growth, and strength in recent decades, even in the face of phenomenal challenges like Hurricane Beryl.

Jamaica today

In early 2026, Jamaica's Prime Minister announced a 42% drop in the national murder rate, reaching its lowest point in 30 years. Unemployment, poverty, public debt, and inflation has also dropped to historic lows. Jamaica is building rapidly.

Jamaica is still a commonwealth country, with England's monarch being their technical head of state. They are actively considering a constitutional reform to become a republic, and oust the monarchy.

Someone in the family was working for the Governor General, the King's representative in the country. It was interesting to be immersed in that discussion through them and others.

Life in Portmore

Grandma grew fruit and vegetables herself, and her neighbors shared their crops with her. A good chunk of our food was made with this, and cooked in a makeshift tire iron fire pit in the back yard.

Cockroaches are common, so we always had to watch where we were stepping, especially at night. Inside, it was hotter than it was outside, and without air conditioning I’d wake up with my bedsheets soaked in sweat -- and stay covered in a thin film of sweat for the time I was indoors.

Grandma had a small, but beautiful back yard and patio space where we would hang out to cool down.

There were still concerns about crime when I was there. One thing that stood out to me was how heavily armed this security guard was at a grocery store, with a shotgun, vest, and balaclava.

Security guard at a grocery store