Disagreement among Caricom members hampers unified response on Cuban sovereignty and US intervention in the region
Caribbean countries have pledged to support Cuba through a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a US fuel embargo, after a leaders summit defined by regional divisions over Washington’s policies.
The decision to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba was announced during a press conference on Friday to mark the end of the four-day Caribbean Community (Caricom) meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, which secretary of state Marco Rubio attended to discuss US relations with Caribbean governments.
The summit was held amid escalating tensions between Cuba and the US after the arrest of the Caribbean nation’s key ally, the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, by US forces and the Trump administration imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in January.
At the opening of the conference there were calls for dialogue to de-escalate the tensions between Cuba and the US, with Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness raising concerns about the “severe economic hardship, energy shortages and growing humanitarian strain” and its potential consequences on the wider region.
