What Trump’s election means for the Caribbean
November 13, 2024
Donald Trump’s electoral victory in the U.S. last week stands to have various impacts on the Caribbean region. The Jamaica Star reports on the “profound disappointment and frustration” felt by the Caribbean-American community in New York after the results of the U.S. elections were known. International relations expert Sean Douglas had believed that “Kamala Harris would be in our interest,” referring both to her policies and her background as a woman of color with Jamaican heritage, reports Newsday.
Newsday highlights the opinion of Economist Dr. Marlene Attz, who explains some of the negatives and the positives for Trinidad and Tobago’s economy and Caribbean economies as a whole. On the one hand, if the U.S. economy continues to improve, it could result in increased tourism and remittances; on the other hand, higher U.S. tariffs against Chinese exports would likely increase prices globally. Trump’s stance on climate change (he has already indicated he would pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, as during his first term) will also likely translate to less climate-related funding for adaptation and mitigation initiatives, topics of extreme importance to Caribbean nations. Mass deportation of immigrants could also result in a loss of remittances from Caribbean expats living in the U.S., which provide major fuel for Caribbean economies, as also noted by Radio Jamaica News.
In the Hispanic Caribbean, the editorial board of La Joven Cuba notes how a Trump win could impact Cuba, with the incoming Republican administration likely to take more hardline measures for a regime change and an increase of economic embargoes against the Caribbean island nation. Acento, for its part, looks at potential impacts in the Dominican Republic and the possibility of nearshoring.
An editorial in the Voice of St. Lucia calls for CARICOM countries to be proactive in seeking an audience to advance their own efforts and interests in the light of a second Trump administration, which has indicated it would put “America first.” In addition to being the region’s largest trade partner, the U.S. also plays a critical role in combating the drug trafficking trade and providing assistance with the proliferation of guns, among other issues.
In Caribbean News Global, Sir Ronald Sanders writes that “the hope for [Kamala] Harris was also based on a fear of Mr Trump’s policies,” among which are efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), efforts and eradicating school lessons on slavery, segregation, and civil rights movements. Sir Ronald Sanders references how Trump’s proposed policies will affect marginalized communities in the U.S. However, he also recognizes that Trump was elected with the majority of both the popular vote and the electoral college vote, and called for the leaders of Caribbean nations to congratulate the incoming U.S. leader on his electoral victory, following the lead of Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, who called Trump the day after the election.
COP29
Climate Tracker published a series of articles on Caribbean aspirations for COP29.
Antigua and Barbuda aims to “build resilience through green energy initiatives, climate-resilient infrastructure, and securing climate finance” as part of its COP29 agenda. (Climate Tracker)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is also focused on securing pledges for concrete action at COP29, focusing on limiting the global temperature rise and emphasizing the particular needs of small island nations. (Climate Tracker)
In this Climate Tracker Tik Tok, Carlos Edill Berríos Polanco notes how Puerto Rico struggles to reach the necessary levels of climate financing it needs to combat the effects of climate change and build resilient infrastructure.
Climate Justice
Guyana’s success in securing $1 billion through carbon credits and partnerships stands in contrast with global challenges in securing funds for climate action, writes Danielle Swain at Climate Tracker. The slow and bureaucratic nature of international climate finance, as well as the lack of effective incentives, have an outsized impact on developing countries.
“In October 2023, the European Union implemented its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a type of trade policy created to address climate change. And though most of us in T&T are unfamiliar with CBAM, similar policies are being developed all over the world which will have a profound effect on our trade relations, energy sector, and ultimately the economy,” explains UWI Today, looking at the carbon footprint of international trade and the concept of carbon tariffs.
On a similar note, “Caribbean Shipping Lanes, an SRC project supported by the United Nations Foundation… aims to provide technical support to Caribbean countries engaged in ongoing negotiations at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to implement an agreed strategy to reduce GHG emissions from ships,” explains Nation News.
“Rushed Conservation: Is Belize’s Blue Bonds Deal Sacrificing Fishermen for Global Praise? Belize’s ambitious Blue Bonds deal aims to conserve marine biodiversity but raises concerns about the potential sacrifice of local fishers' livelihoods for international acclaim.” (Earth Journalism Network)
“Data produced by the Belize Fisheries Project (BFP) shows that 17 of 20 commercial fish species are overexploited,” reports Amandala.
A new Blue Paper, ‘Co-producing Sustainable Ocean Plans with Indigenous and traditional knowledge holders,’ “explores how Indigenous and traditional knowledge can be integrated into policymaking processes to create Sustainable Ocean Plans.”
SRC wrote a pair of policy briefs published by T20 Brazil. One is on developing a “green trade system for the 21st century” and the other looks at “championing development-friendly carbon markets through trade.”
“In a landmark effort to boost awareness and foster regional cooperation on the Escazú Agreement, a new hybrid campaign, titled “Caribbean Perspectives on Escazú: Our Rights, Our Future”, is set to launch this November.” Check it out and sign up for updates here.
Check out the recording of a recent event on Caribbean perspectives on Escazú here.
“This year is now virtually certain to beat 2023 as the hottest year on record, Carbon Brief analysis shows.”
Human Rights
Gender-based violence in Trinidad and Tobago has increased in recent weeks, prompting the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to call for urgent measures to prevent and eradicate it, taking into account the broader context of gender-based violence in the country.
The Feasibility Study on Establishing a Caribbean Fund for Gender Justice, which is almost completed, proposes the establishment of a dedicated Caribbean Fund for Gender Justice to advance women’s rights and LGBTQI+ disparities in the region.
Criminal Justice
“The Barbados government says legislation on the protection of witnesses based on the model used in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), will shortly be shared with the Barbados Bar Association (BBA) for its consideration and comments.” (iWitness News)
The Caribbean and the World
The AI Global South Summit in St. Lucia “was a catalyst for creating new networks of people to share their thinking about how artificial intelligences and other emerging technologies might be aligned and used,” writes Dennis Gleeson in his blog. He points out the various sectors in which AI can be implemented, including education, business, and governance.
Fabian Anthony, Chairman of the Pan African Council, gave a keynote speech at the summit, shaped by the perspectives of the global majority, not just the Global South. You can watch the keynote on YouTube.
“An Inclusive Agenda for Small Island Developing States at the G20,” was one of the many policy briefs submitted by the Shridath Ramphal Centre to the T20, to hopefully be addressed at the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil. This brief advocates for the acknowledgement of SIDS as a distinct development category, among other proposals.
Barbados
“Barbados’ youth unemployment rate dropped from 22.1% to 19.5% over the past year, but remains higher than Caribbean and global averages,” explains Nicholas Roberts.
Haiti
“Haiti’s transitional council ousted Prime Minister Gary Conille, and named Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, businessman and a former candidate for the Haitian Senate, as his replacement, yesterday. It is unclear whether the council has the power to fire the prime minister,” explains Jordana Timerman at Latin America Daily Briefing, exploring the details of the controversy.
Migration
“Given the Dominican Republic’s great reliance on Haitian labor in the agricultural sector, the country’s migration agency and agricultural ministry have debated the possibility of granting those in the sector temporary work permits and protection from the recently launched mass deportation campaign,” explains Jordi at the Americas Migration Brief newsletter.
Turks and Caicos “has officially launched its Border Force, marking the culmination of a three-year endeavour spearheaded by the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services, which has seen a significant expansion of enforcement and intelligence teams, substantial investments in cutting-edge technology, and the implementation of robust legislative frameworks,” reports Loop. (via Americas Migration Brief)
Culture
In the recent “The Legal Corner” podcast episode, attorney and international relations expert Reneé Atwell discusses the foundations of her NGO “Girls of Impact T&T” and the organization’s current plans and future initiatives.
In an interview published on Facebook, Sister Nancy discusses not being credited or receiving royalties for her 1982 single “Bam Bam.” After a recent successful lawsuit, she was finally properly credited.
Events
The Femicide Watch Platform and the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability will host a virtual event with Senior Social Development Expert Taitu Heron. Heron will discuss femicide trends in the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica. For more information and to register, click here.
Monday, November 18 at 1pm, “The Cropper Foundation, with funding support from Open Society Foundations, will launch the preview of the forthcoming Caribbean Climate Justice anthology, Writing For Our Lives… Writing for Our Lives was conceived as an anthology of stories illuminating the urgency of the climate crisis for people and communities of Caribbean states marked by their varied yet substantial vulnerabilities.” More information here.
The Faculty of Law, The UWI Mona is hosting a webinar on “Constitutional Controversies and Judge-made Constitutional Law: A Roundtable on Proportionality, Implied Principles and Direct Horizontality” on Saturday, November 23rd at 10 am Jamaica time. More information here.
Opportunities
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) is seeking a program manager in Guyana to help implement a project that aims to enhance voter education/information, and civil society’s capacities on electoral matters. More information can be found here.