CARIBBEAN INITIATIVE
June 2025
ADRIENNE ARSHT LATIN AMERICA CENTER
US interests can benefit from stronger congressional ties with the Caribbean Wazim Mowla and Maite Gonzalez Latorre
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Safeguarding long-term US interests starts by strengthening relations with Caribbean countries, sometimes referred to as the US “third border.” The Caribbean’s geographic proximity to the United States—as well as its use as a transit point for US citizens, goods, and financial services—makes it a crucial hub for US national interests.
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However, the relationship has suffered from inconsistent and infrequent assistance. Changes in US policy priorities bring ever-changing adjustments to US engagement, leaving the Caribbean, its leadership, and its institutions with insufficient time to benefit from US policy action.
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For Caribbean countries, policy continuity is critical for implementation and to see tangible and meaningful development. The region’s small populations and markets, vulnerability to natural disasters and changing global commodity prices, and limited institutional capacity slow the pace of receiving and utilizing development assistance and support.
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Underpinning US-Caribbean ties with stronger US congressional engagement can provide needed longevity to the relationship. Congressional actions—like newly appropriated resources and committee hearings—can bring tangible benefits to US-Caribbean relations.
Introduction
US-Caribbean congressional ties today
help address regional security concerns, along with several high-profile congressional delegations (CODELs) in recent years. While this has ensured that some form of legislative action assisting Caribbean countries exist, there is more to be done. The financial resources of the CBSI, which was first announced in 2009 and can be renewed every five years— pending congressional approval—are minimal relative to the scale of Caribbean security challenges.
What has US congressional engagement in the Caribbean looked like to date? The Caribbean benefits from the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which allocates annual financial assistance to
Figure 1 shows that annual CBSI funding to the Caribbean has ranged from $61 million to $88 million over a fourteenyear period, at a time when the region’s security challenges have risen to new
The Caribbean is crucial to US security and economic interests, but inconsistent engagement has weakened the relationship. Stronger, sustained US congressional action can build a long-term partnership that protects US influence in the region and supports Caribbean economic development.
ATLANTIC COUNCIL
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