Darkness Is Still Darkness: From Devil’s Bridge to Caracas, Why I Reject Trading One Evil for Another
I remember visiting Devil’s Bridge in Antigua. It was one of the most grueling tours I’ve ever taken. They say it’s a place where our ancestors were taken and thrown into the sea through a hole, with the pounding and raging waves beneath it, drowning them and bashing them against the sharp-edged rocks that are still visible today. I nearly passed out there, and I vowed never to visit it again. That place was so traumatic for me.
As I look at these photos coming out of Caracas, Venezuela, damaged buildings, grieving families, streets in chaos after the U.S. strikes, I start to feel the same chills. Reports confirm at least 40-80 people killed in the January 3, 2026 attacks, including civilians caught in the crossfire.I can’t help but think about what our ancestors and forefathers went through while these same colonial masters/giants bullied their way into our spaces, took over our assets, and killed our people.There is absolutely no way that I will ignore one evil over another. I do not in any way support a dictator, and I clearly feel that Maduro should have stepped down the right way, through rule of law, letting his own people hold him accountable.
Yes, I know the suffering under his regime, but there is always a better way to resolve issues than military intervention. And not by Trump, of all people. His track record speaks for itself; it’s the pot calling the kettle black.Just look: In late 2025, Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted in a U.S. court for trafficking over 400 tons of cocaine, the very same charges used to justify capturing Maduro.I cringe every day hearing about policies under Trump that hit close to home.
He dismantled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives across federal agencies and the military, erasing references to Black history, like pages on the Tuskegee Airmen and Buffalo Soldiers—from official sites. He terminated protections for Venezuelans and Haitians, resuming mass deportations. Visa and travel bans expanded, pressuring Caribbean leaders to “bow down” or lose privileges.
In 2025, at least 31 people died in ICE detention, the deadliest year in decades, amid record overcrowding and neglect. Continued U.S. support for Israel has been linked to thousands of child deaths in Gaza, with UNICEF reporting over 50,000 children killed or maimed since 2023.The Epstein files surfaced with redactions and questions of cover-up. The January 6 insurrection probe was dismantled without full accountability. USAID was gutted, leaving vulnerable people worldwide without aid while cuts to food stamps and childcare hit disadvantaged families hard.
Trump walks shielded by Supreme Court immunity, facing no real consequences. There is no justification for one leader, implicated in so much, to remove another while evading justice himself.Now, watching the Venezuelan diaspora, especially in places like Doral, Miami, many celebrated at first, waving flags and chanting “freedom.” But just days later, the reality is sinking in. I’m hearing Venezuelans in the U.S. say, “OMG, we just realized we got duped.” The trauma is setting in: Yes, celebrate Maduro’s removal if you must, but replacing one devil with another isn’t a win. It’s the same old pattern, ordinary people suffer, super-rich and powerful benefit from oil and control, while deportations loom and instability grows.This is why we as Caribbean people need to be wise. We cannot play into this just to save a visa or for short-term convenience.
This is our opportune moment to knock some sense into our heads. Like the Israelites in the Bible, set free from Egypt through miracles, yet tricked by quick celebrations without building true independence, wandering lost for years.We must learn from this: Create sustainable livelihoods through our communities, local agriculture, solar energy, eco-tourism owned by us, stronger CARICOM trade, cultural ties with Africa for reparatory strength. Our Caribbean is paradise; internationals flock here to enjoy it.
Why beg for scraps when we can thrive valuing our own?He has stamped his bullying tactics and sent a clear message to Caribbean leaders: bow down or lose visa privileges. If you closely follow actions, you’ll see he isn’t done yet. How can we, in our right minds, pretend to forget our own plight and cheer such acts for money or convenience?As Michael Jackson sang, “They don’t care about us.” I won’t play along with their games. Not me.
So many of us can no longer move freely, families separated, futures uncertain. Here we are in the Caribbean, some cheering one evil over another. No, thank you! Darkness is still darkness.NB: This is my truth, from what I’ve seen, heard, and felt in my bones. It doesn’t have to match every headline. But I am not blind or deaf. Injustice is everywhere. We need to fix this… but humans? Nah, ain’t gonna happen without real change from within.
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This blog is published by Sustainable People & Communities Inc.(SPCI) through the Grow Healthy initiative.