For decades the people of Jamaica have sat and supped up high levels of corruption, arrogance and deception that their government shove down their throats with nary a whimper.
But last week, the silence broke. The people who matter most to the elected jammed Cross Roads by the hundreds. Members of the government had been enriching themselves from the public coffers; they had been hoarding private donations sent to help families ravaged by Hurricane Melissa, but the secret importation of foreign deportees was the straw that broke the back of government wanton wickedness.
The tipping point was reached on Tuesday, the day when politicians usually gather in Parliament for vigorous debates, open displays of disdain and indecency. So as the parties faced off in the afternoon under the pretext of discussing the nation’s business; the outpour of anger from Cross Roads in the morning dominated whispered conversations.
Cross Roads brought together the articulate elite, who possess clout, access and influence. The members of the uppercrust of Beverley Hills and gated communities were joined by crucial arms of the church and advocacy groups.
The elite is not intimidated by political power. Their voices cannot be easily silenced, and the long arm of the law dare not reach their yards. Police would never push past electronic gates to drag offenders from beneath four-poster mahogany beds to demand apologies.
Interestingly, members of para-church groups, who have always been speaking out, also stood at the crossroads, along with feisty social media influencers and their ferocious camera crews.
If only for a few hours, the Cross Roads masses sealed and delivered an unequivocal message to the rowdy in Gordon House. This is not business as usual.
Politicians have no power over financially independent people. They are masters only over the poor who are in desperate need of a fistful of dollars, a box of food and a few broken promises. Poverty has forced many to box up food, use their political ploy, begging handouts, boarding buses and shouting party propaganda to earn a sure buck every four years. This ramshackle system works best when the majority of the population is kept beneath the poverty line.
So when people of means and substance take to the streets, on their own accord with no evidence of political help, something has definitely shifted. It is in this context that the protest in Cross Roads last Tuesday must be understood.
Jamaicans are slowly waking up to the fact that many of the men and women who sit in Parliament have become oppressors, snubbing the will of the people whose vote they begged or bought to secure their seats.
In too many cases, their love of money and the allegiance to their international partners take precedence over the people they swore to serve. Unprecedented levels of corruption dog this government. Too many are getting fat under the collar and showing no compunction about buying favours they cannot win.
Traditional media, which served the political parties during their campaigns for power, have been snubbed. Journalists who compromised on a promise have been gagged. With over 39 regulated radio stations, including 18 island-wide FM stations, three free-to-air television stations, a few newspapers and innumerable social media channels, the advertising dollar to sustain all of these platforms is stretched to the limit.
This government spends massive amounts of money to sustain bots and blogs on social media. They avoid the traditional spaces and use paid agents to shape and change narratives, and the people suffer for it.
Government also spends multi-billion JMD on advertising and marketing across key ministries. The tourism destination marketing budget alone is approximately J$4.8 billion. There is strong competition among local and international media entities for a pretty penny from this treasure chest.
Government advertising dollars are used to reward or punish media houses. Some media houses remain viable by how well they sing to the government’s tune, while others are starved and forced to downsize for want of funding.
Mammon, coupled with strategic appointments, is also dangled before church leadership. Some are lured into the headship of controversial bodies like the National Identification System (NIDS) and the religious and faith-based organisations team. These bodies are pegged into the beast agenda, facilitating the new world order and interfaith religion.
On June 16, 2026, two significant things happened simultaneously. The story about the despicable Third Country Deportee deal between Jamaica and the United States made headlines. Hours later that same day, the government announced an additional $50 million to assist churches with their Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.
The additional $50 million for the Community Church Clean-Up and Restoration Programme brought government funding for churches damaged during Hurricane Melissa to over $125 million. Churches in St Ann and Clarendon were being bought and bribed along with over 400 other churches across St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St James, Trelawny, and Hanover. Some had already collected portions of the money that the government was allocating to purchase their silence.
The Cross Roads protesters were loud and relentless, adding their voices to those of the remnants who had been standing on street corners and in town centres for more than a year. Groups had been gathering in more than 80 locations, holding up ministry cards, calling out the decrepit state of governance, corruption and the unrighteous agenda being pursued by the government.
While the government and opposition are still battling in Parliament, this nation is at a crossroads. Jamaicans know that political talk is cheap and cannot stand in this time of geopolitical uncertainty and the intensifying judgement of God.
When the people speak with one voice and demand better, change is definitely on the horizon. We are 170 days away from 2027. Jamaica is at a crucial crossroads; the righteous government will arise. Let the change begin.
