A Brief Glossary of Abbreviations for Caribbean Parties

Against the Current No. 19, March/April 1989

David Finkel

In the course of the interview with David Abdulah on the workers movement in Trinidad, there is reference to a number of Caribbean parties and movements outside Trinidad. The following is a brief explanation of these.

CLC (Caribbean Labor Congress) — An effort to unite Caribbean workers in the aftermath of the anti-colonial revolts of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Broken up by U.S. trade-union manipulation in the Cold War atmosphere of the 1950s.

PNP and JLP (Peoples National Party and Jamaica Labour Party) — The two largest political parties in Jamaica. Despite the name, the Jamaica Labor Party (led by Edward Seaga) is the right-wing party, while the Peoples National Party (led by Michael Manley), which has just returned to power in the February 1989 election, is the social­democratic party. The U.S. is therefore favorable to the JLP, although Manley’s PNP has abandoned most of its radical rhetoric of the 1970s.

WPJ (Workers Party of Jamaica) — The pro-Moscow party (led by Trevor Munroe) founded by leftist leaders expelled from the PNP in the 1950s, generally aligned with Communist parties internationally.

PPP (Peoples Progressive Party) — The left populist movement led by Cheddi Jagan in Guyana, elected in 1953 and deposed shortly afterward by a British coup.

March-April 1989, ATC 19

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