The United States of America has launched a war against Caribbean Banana Producers. Its purpose is to stop Banana farmers in the Caribbean from selling their bananas in Europe. Three American companies, Chiquita, Del Monte and Dole will benefit if the United States wins this war against Caribbean Banana Producers.

While the authorities in the Caribbean are throwing up their hands in horror, they are doing very little to smash the American war against the Banana farmers. These farmers depend on bananas for their livelihoods, and for the maintenance of their families. They are likely to be reduced to poverty and degradation if they lose the European market.

Dr. Kennedy Anthony, the Prime Minister of St. Lucia states that there is nothing they can do. The Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) based in St. Vincent recently passed a resolution protesting the American war but proposed no counter-action.

But militant Pan African youths at Biabou in St. Vincent, have called for a world-wide boycott of bananas sold by Chiquita, Del Monte and Dole. At a meeting held on Thursday 17th March, the following resolution was adopted:

"We the people of Biabou, view as unfriendly, immoral, hostile and unjust, the actions of the United States Government in trying to stop Jamaica and the Windward Islands of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent from exporting their bananas to Europe.

"For us, the Banana Producers in these Caribbean Islands, selling our bananas in Europe is essential to our livelihood and for the maintenance of our families and our communities. This stops us from falling into absolute poverty and degradation, and being reduced to the status of international beggars. Preventing us from selling our bananas in Europe will also wreck the precarious economies of the Islands.

"We note that the American companies Chiquita, Del Monte and Dole, on whose behalf President Bill Clinton and the American Government have declared war against us, are some of the richest companies in the world.

"This immoral, unfriendly, hostile and unjust act can not be allowed to go unchallenged. We call on the peoples of the world, particularly of Europe and north America, those who have a sense of decency, are moral and love justice, to boycott the products sold by Chiquita, Del Monte and Dole."

This call has been taken up by the United Kingdom Pan African Congress which is launching the boycott campaign at a public meeting on Wednesday 31st March, 1999.

This meeting will be held at the African Caribbean Centre, Clarendon Road, Hornsey, London N8 at 7.30 p.m. on that day. So far, the campaign has the support of Caribbean Labour Solidarity, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association, the St. Lucia Association and the committee campaigning for the unbanning of the Convention Peoples Party of Ghana. Support for the campaign has also come from the Grenada Association and the Dominica Overseas National Association.

This campaign will be taken into the United States in the near future. We are assured of support from the large Caribbean African community in the United States and the Black community in the U. S.