In times of crisis, the rise of CARICOM’s diplomacy: the case of the Venezuelan migrants within the Southern Caribbean

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to serve as an exploration into the implications of the Venezuelan migration crisis into the South-Eastern Caribbean territories of Barbados, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. This paper seeks to present an analytical report of the exercise of soft and economic diplomacy practiced by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) group. In the CARICOM Statement of January 2019, a call was made for ‘external forces to refrain from doing anything to destabilize the situation in Venezuela … which could have far reaching negative consequences for the wider region’. This paper seeks to use a geopolitical foresight methodology to examine these negative consequences ranging from the decimation of Caribbean trade as a result of military use of the Caribbean shipping routes, the continued ‘divide and rule’ over CARICOM by the United States Government as well as the decline in Caribbean Tourism receipts. A key question raised surrounds determining what is the capacity of several Caribbean Member States to simultaneously host Venezuelan migrants/refugees as well as participate in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)’s Free Movement of Labour Regime.

KEYWORDS:

• CARICOM
• Venezuelan migrants
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean trade
• free movement of labour
• geopolitics

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kai-Ann D. Skeete

Kai-Ann D. Skeete is the Trade Research Fellow at the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services based at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. Her research interests include Caribbean integration, Geopolitics, Latin American Foreign Policy, Security studies and Regional governance systems. Kai-Ann is a regionalist at heart and is a graduate from the PhD in International Relations from the Institute of International Relations.

Leisel Juman

Leisel Juman is a Development Practitioner with experience working in the international affairs industry. With a Master's degree focused in International Trade Policy from The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus. Leisel also maintains a keen interest in International Relations.