One does not usually think of bananas as big business, let alone as a factor in the fate of nations.
The Caribbean has long enjoyed a reputation for being one of the most democratic regions in the world. Despite the Caribbean’s seeming confidence in the ballot, however, countries in the region nevertheless face considerable challenges in keeping their democracies alive. Elections alone do not make a democracy; rather, there are many other factors that must be taken into consideration in order to ensure good governance.
The immediate hurdle to overcome is already playing itself out in the days following Moïse’s assassination—who is the legitimate successor?
The international community’s role in Haiti is adrift. None of this is going to end well.
The following interview between Global Americans’ Executive Director Guy Mentel and Francisco J. Monaldi took place this week as the Biden-Harris administration moves to combat climate change and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt global oil markets.
As the G7 meetings concluded in Cornwall, England, one outcome was an agreement on a global minimum tax. This initiative will further squeeze the Caribbean just as it is struggling to recover from the harm the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked on tourism, the region’s main economic sector.
The following interview between Global Americans’ Executive Director Guy Mentel and Richard E. Feinberg took place this week, in light of recent and upcoming trips to Central America from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris. The purpose of this interview was to glean insight from Mr. Feinberg as an expert with decades of engagement with inter-American relations, and evaluate the Biden administration’s leading agenda items: migration, corruption, foreign investment, and more.
The ambition and capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to affect the political affairs of nations across Latin America and the Caribbean have only grown during the global pandemic. Recent events in Guyana and Paraguay show that COVID-19 vaccines have influenced governments, either directly or indirectly, toward Beijing’s political preferences.
Chinese advances in the Dominican Republic that once inspired concern in Washington have gone largely unrealized. For the U.S., the Dominican Republic represents both a fleeting opportunity and challenge in its struggle against China’s expanding presence in the greater Caribbean region.
If the United States allows other Caribbean Basin countries to be eligible for components of its ambitious domestic agenda, it could simultaneously increase U.S. competitiveness and provide benefits to the region that far outweigh any traditional foreign assistance programs.
