Condor said that in our small, developing states, such as St. Kitts and Nevis, we have a limited population and limited resources, but we have limitless potential for disaster and for the proliferation of criminal activity if the issue of citizen security is not elevated to a place of prominence for debate and action in all hemispheric fora.
Mr. Condor is of the view that the societal violence is not immutable. There are tried and tested ways of addressing this problem he believes.
The Minister of National Security holds the position that violence in Latin America and the Caribbean is now an unrelenting epidemic, which is having a deadly impact on Socio- Economic development.
He said, “As our populations become more youthful, the issues which we must address to keep young people alive, and secure, take on greater urgency. The youth agenda, more critical in its urging, begs to underscore the importance of debating youth issues and integrating them into the development of national and hemispheric policy making sure that no one is left out.”
He was speaking at the 41st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in El Salvador, last week.
Mr. Condor, told delegates from participating countries of the OAS, that Latin America and the Caribbean are losing a critical generation because we are failing to provide options to challenge their technological savvy, their inventiveness, their cunning, their need for outlet.
Guns have seemingly become the first option to settle every score, no matter how trivial. Combined with the drug trade, this is a formula for the disruption of the peaceful enjoyment of life which our citizens ought to expect in any thriving democracy. With the ease with which all our borders are being transgressed, Condor is of the view that, this problem is hemispheric in scope, and so must be the solution.
He admitted though that there is no quick-fix remedy, and the solution is not to be found in piecemeal approaches and all sectors of societies have a role to play.