Caribbean Indigenous Peoples Condemn Trumps withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement: A Joint statement from the United Confederation of Taíno People and the Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization

The United Confederation of Taíno People and the Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization condemn the shameful June 1st, 2017 announcement made by the President of the United States that his government will withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. 

Indigenous Peoples around the world, including the Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean are on the frontlines of the global climate crises. Our communities contribute the least to global warming, yet we are and will continue to be affected the most by its negative impacts. 

In the Caribbean region, the effects of climate change are real. We are experiencing erratic and shifting weather patterns, rising sea levels, increased intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes, negative effects on local fauna, as well as the bleaching of coral refers, which are integral component of the Caribbean Sea and its ecosystem. All these biophysical impacts will continue to evoke significant economic, social and political consequences in the near and distant future in the region and beyond. 

While the Paris Agreement did not fulfill all our aspirations and by itself, will not solve the global climate crises, it is an important step forward that includes the “rights of indigenous peoples” in its framework. 

The U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is an irresponsible act that not only supports an immoral anti-environmental agenda, but also it also threatens the well-being of our future generations. We therefore call upon the U.S. government to reconsider its current position and convert this injustice into an historic opportunity to ensure a safer future for our children’s children.

Signed: 

Roberto Múkaro Borrero, President 
United Confederation of Taíno People 

Damon Gerard Corrie, President 
Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization