Prior to March 13, 1979, few people had ever heard of Grenada, one of the smallest countries of the Western Hemisphere. It all began in 1973, when the National Jewel Movement (NJM) formed to oppose the dictatorship of Eric Gairy, successor to British colonial rule, who was as treacherous and brutal as Papa Doc was in Haiti. Many activists, both in Grenada and worldwide, were inspired by the movement's call for a populist socialism. After six years of growing mass mobilizations that created a virtual stalemate with the Gairy regime, the revolutionary forces launched an armed uprising on March 13, 1979.
In 1979, Gairy was ousted in a bloodless takeover and the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) came to power, headed by Prime Minister
This occurred because the PRG failed to develop a well-defined economic plan, managed economic enterprises poorly, and became overly concerned with political, rather than economic, priorities.
After the Grenada Revolution, the Blaize government, by contrast, undertook a change in economic orientation emphasizing tourism and agriculture as the leading economic sectors. Private control of economic enterprises, attraction of both public and private foreign capital, and pursuit of a strong export trade were the fundamental elements of the development policy. This approach was in keeping with the economic realities of an island nation with natural resources limited to small amounts of arable land, natural tourist attractions, and an underutilized labor force. Because of this resource restriction, as well as limited domestic consumption, cultural and historical ties, and easy market penetration, Grenada's economy was naturally linked to the import markets of the United States, Britain, and the CARICOM countries.
2. Political Repercussions Until the coup in 1979, the Grenadian Political System, at least formally, was patterned after that of Britain. Inherent in this system is respect for the constitution, the institutions of government, and the basic freedoms for the citizen entrenched. The dramatic events of October 1983 left Grenada in a