US draws anti-China line in the sands of Jamaica Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (16 February 2020) — China’s rapid economic and geopolitical march through Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been particularly problematic for the US. The countries of the hemisphere are in America’s geographic backyard, and any increase in influence by China, or by any major economic or military global competitor in the region is considered to be a threat to US national security. President Donald...
Category - US-Caribbean
Cuba and Venezuela in Trump’s Cross-Hairs
Cuba and Venezuela in Trump’s Cross-Hairs Ambassador Curtis A. Ward Characterizing Cuba and Venezuela as “communist and socialist dictatorships,” against which sanctions have been imposed, in his State of the Union address 30 January 2018 should come as no surprise to anyone tracking President Donald Trump’s prior statements and actions towards these two countries. President Trump’s targeting of Cuba and Venezuela carries out promises he made repeatedly to supporters during his...
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke Urges Caribbean Community to Have a Voice in Washington
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke Urges Caribbean Community to Have a Voice in Washington Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (18 Oct. 2017) — In a wide ranging Keynote Address to the Caribbean-American Political Action Committee (C-PAC) 12th Annual Patrons Luncheon in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 14, 2017, addressing issues from the response to the devastation left by hurricanes in the Caribbean to President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant and racist policies, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke...
Caribbean Natural Disasters: Collective Response and the Diaspora
Caribbean Natural Disasters: Collective Response and the Diaspora Ambassador Curtis A. Ward (14 Sept. 2017) — With greater frequency and added ferocity natural disasters, in particular from hurricanes, and also from earthquakes, lay bare the Caribbean region’s extreme vulnerability. While there is no uniqueness in these threats of natural disasters, Caribbean citizens’ security, infrastructure, and economies are extremely vulnerable, and rebuilding with limited human and financial...