A prominent United States foreign policy expert is sounding the alarm over Washington's approach to the Caribbean, warning that American strategy is deliberately designed to fracture CARICOM unity — and that small island states which break ranks with the regional bloc risk surrendering long-term sovereignty for short-term gains that may never materialise.
According to Antigua Observer, Jake Johnston, Director of International Research at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, issued the warning as concerns grow over US pressure being applied to individual Caribbean nations.
Johnston cautioned that the approach being taken by Washington targets the cohesion of the Caribbean Community as a whole, rather than engaging the region as a unified bloc. Small island states, he warned, are particularly vulnerable to such pressure given their economic dependence and limited diplomatic leverage on the world stage.
The expert stressed that any short-term rewards dangled before nations willing to distance themselves from CARICOM positions may prove illusory, while the long-term cost — diminished regional solidarity and weakened collective bargaining power — could be severe and lasting.
As reported by Antigua Observer, Johnston's remarks add an authoritative voice to an ongoing debate within the Caribbean about how member states should navigate an increasingly assertive US foreign policy posture toward the region.
CARICOM has historically functioned as a vehicle for collective diplomacy, allowing smaller member states to amplify their influence on the international stage. Experts and regional leaders have long argued that unity is one of the bloc's most valuable assets — one that outside powers have, at various points, sought to undermine.
