Donald Tapia will be missed
There is never a dull moment when Donald Tapia is around.
Quite soon, the United States Ambassador to Jamaica will, to borrow a term from outstanding legal luminary KD Knight, pack his bags and go… back to the country regarded by many as the greatest in the world, which would mark the end of a stint in Jamaica that was laced with a unique style. That style was, in some respects, similar to his good friend, the outgoing president of the United States, Donald Trump, who has roughly three weeks left in the White House.
When I first interacted with Ambassador Tapia in one of the corporate boxes at Sabina Park during the Caribbean Professional League cricket series shortly after his arrival in Jamaica a few years ago, he said that I was the first person from the Jamaican media whom he had met. Right away, an unusual bout of wit emerged, which I’ve always looked forward to.
But there was something else. He was this eternal straight talker who would proceed to put typical diplomacy under the door mat, and tell it like it is. Aah… so refreshing, at least from a journalist’s perspective. Maybe other envoys will want to look at Tapia’s style and consider whether or not that isn’t the honest way to go, instead of often hiding behind the curtain of secrecy, and, on some occasions, denial of information. I understand that Ambassador Tapia is back in Jamaica after an unfortunate injury which forced him to go home recently, but his time in this Caribbean island may be limited, what with a new administration about to assume leadership.
Although our opinions differed in respect of some matters related to China, I still respected his frankness, and hope that others will have no fear in expressing themselves, even if doing so in Jamaica these days will earn the wrath of mainly elected political officials.