Leaders from across the Americas gathered in Panama on Monday and Tuesday, June 23 and 24 for the 56th Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly. 

The focus was on shared challenges and building shared prosperity in the region. Topics included security, trade, energy, innovation and more. Haiti was the elephant in the room, followed by Venezuela, now even more pressing after the devastating earthquakes that have happened since the event.

I was invited by the USA House as a private sector delegate to be part of the panel discussions hosted in conjunction with Stromback Global and the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Centre. Other panelists and presenters including Panama’s Minister of Canal Affairs, Minister of Finance and Economy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, the US Ambassador to Panama, Panama’s Ambassador to the USA, the Executive Vice President of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the CEO of Bern Holdings, a large Panamanian real estate company and a number of other distinguished guests.

While the OAS General Assembly meetings took place with official government representatives from all over the region, I spoke with Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson-Smith and the Barbados Ambassador to the USA and Permanent Representative to the OAS, Victor Fernandes. The USA House had little Caribbean flavour, and I was glad to bring some.

My panel took place on Tuesday afternoon and was titled “Mobilising Capital for the Caribbean and Central America” with one or other guest, Dovi Eisenman, CEO, Grupo FCI and President of Colon Free Zone of Commerce, with our moderator being Panamanian journalist Javier Negre. I look forward to sharing the video once available, but will touch on key questions I was asked before, during and after the panel discussion because it should allow us in the Caribbean to think more broadly about the perception that outsiders have of our small countries compared to the reality.

Questions about corruption, inefficiency, infrastructure upgrades, availability of skilled labour, concerns about the continued brain drain and cost of energy were plentiful. I was also asked about the seemingly large focus on tourism. We cannot blame outsiders for their perception of the reason when the countries themselves shape that brand perception and the narrative. They were surprised to learn about Jamaica’s SEZs and the debt reduction in The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica. They were surprised when I brought up the film and music opportunities that have not been properly supported and funded. When asked about the overlooked opportunities, I went back to my Econ 101 class from the University of Miami to explain which areas in the region will grow faster than GDP, just like in India 25 years ago or the Four Asian Tigers in the 1970s and 1980s (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), while also pointing out the Orange Economy opportunity that is differentiated.

When I said on the stage that if I mention Bob Marley, then they all could sing many of his songs, and if I mention Usain Bolt, then they could all do the pose, there was lots of laughter and agreement. Then I asked why, then isn’t there more investment in film, music and sports? They were also surprised to know that if you exit the Panama Canal and close your eyes, you will run aground in Jamaica!

My mission continues to focus on changing the perception of the Caribbean, promoting improved efficiency and pushing for a larger flow of equity capital into the region. We have enough debt. Now we need patient capital focused on long-term growth that lifts all boats and not the same 1%.

It is clear that Panama (and Costa Rica) provide some usable case studies for the Caribbean and vice versa. We should engage their civil society, private sector and government even more as we build a better Jamaica and a better Caribbean.

Panama especially has strong Caribbean connections because of the many workers who went to help build the Panama Canal and work on railroads. They love Reggae and Dancehall, judging from my taxi rides in the city and hearing Sean Paul, T.O.K., Tanto Metro and Devonte, Vybz Kartel and more playing on the radio. They already trade with us, and they are ahead of us in some ways.

This time, we are moving forward. We must keep on moving, keep on pushing, keep on getting up after every setback, every hurricane, every earthquake. We can’t keep looking back and must keep our heads up, focused on that shared goal line. This is our time. One Love.

David P. A. Mullings is Founder, Chairman and CEO of Blue Mahoe Holdings, Ltd., a Bahamas-based impact investment firm focused on the Global South. He was the first Future Leaders Representative for the USA on the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board.