Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy

The declaration stated that the US decision to build a fence on parts of its border with Mexico is "a unilateral measure that goes against the spirit of understanding that should characterize how shared problems between neighboring countries are handled and that affects cooperation in the hemisphere."

CGID believes that this is a gratuitous and injudicious intervention by CARICOM nations, which is clearly against the strategic interest of the Caribbean region. This illiberal decision will further undermine US-CARICOM relations and have negative implications for future strategic cooperation between the US and CARICOM countries.

The support of this declaration by some CARICOM nations is an act that is redolent of hypocrisy. CARICOM countries have not themselves been altruistic and all-embracing in their immigration and border security policy.   Within recent time, even as they attempt to implement "free movement of people" and the CSME, some CARICOM countries have been adopting an extreme protectionist and insular posture with regard to border security and immigration. These restrictive policies demonstrate an indolent approach to economic integration and liberalization.

Some CARICOM nations have instituted a policy of carte blanche deportations of other CARICOM nationals for specious and xenophobic reasons. Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago , Antigua and Grenada have deported Guyanese nationals. St Kitts has enacted a prohibition that bans local employers from hiring other CARICOM nationals before first offering that employment to a national of St Kitts. Dominica has implemented monetary penalties on Haitians who enter Dominica, etc. Some of these very nations have now passed judgment on the US for implementing stricter border control, which is in its national security interest.

The recent foreign policy positions emanating from CARICOM countries have been inconsistent and seriously counterproductive to the foreign relations and interests of the region. Clearly CARICOM's foreign policy towards the US has been reactionary and misguided. It must therefore be revamped urgently.

CARICOM's recent support for Venezuela's bid to be elected to the United Nations Security Council, with the specific intent of undermining the United States , was a grave blunder. The consequence is the early implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a US security policy initiative (intended to be stealth sanctions) which could devastate the region's tourism industry.    

Ironically, as CARICOM is currently actively lobbying the US government to review the WHTI policy, it is simultaneously pursuing an anti-US stance at the UN and at the OAS. How thoughtless can our governments be?  What has CARICOM gained from supporting Venezuela and Mexico, and opposing the US?

While CARICOM countries demonstrated eagerness to support Venezuela and Mexico in its adoption of a seemingly anti-US foreign policy posture, they have failed to condemn Venezuela, which has an ongoing territorial dispute with Guyana and continues to publish an official map that designates two-thirds of Guyana territory as part of Venezuela.  

CGID presumes that the US is a desirable and necessary ally and strategic partner of CARICOM nations. These recent decisions by CARICOM countries have been myopic, and therefore undermine this vital relationship. CARICOM must not kiss-up to the US but it must act in its own strategic interest, always. CARICOM nations will have to be more strategic and judicious in choosing the international policy battles they wish to wage.