POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CONTEMPORARY EVENTS III CARIBBEAN CONFLICT: COLD WAR IN THE SUN

In: Political geography quarterly, Volume 3, Issue 2, p. 144-151

Abstract

SINCE 1960 ALL BUT FIVE OF THE FORMER BRITISH COLONIES IN THE CARIBBEAN HAVE MOVED PEACEFULLY TO INDEPENDENCE WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH. THESE YOUNG SOVEREIGN NATIONS ARE EXPOSED TO TWO COMPETING REGIONAL MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT: CUBA, BASED ON SOVIET-BACKED COMMUNIST IDEOLOGY, AND PUERTO RICO, DEPENDENT ON AMERICAN CAPITALISM. THE SMALL STATES OF THE CARIBBEAN DO NOT WISH TO BECOME TESTING GROUNDS FOR THE IDEOLOGIES OF THE SUPERPOWERS BUT SEEK TO EXPRESS THEIR SOVEREIGNTY BY EVOLVING SOLUTIONS PECULIAR TO THEIR OWN SITUATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ECONOMIC CHOICES THEY SELECT ARE SEEN BY OUTSIDE POWERS AS HAVING A GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE DOMESTIC NEEDS AND INTENTIONS OF CARIBBEAN GOVERNMENTS. THE GRENADA INVASION MARKS THE FIRST CLASH OF THESE THREE MUTUALLY INCOMPATIBLE 'MANIFEST DESTINIES': A CLASH WITH A POTENTIAL FOR REPETITION WHICH COULD BRING DISASTER TO THE CARIBBEAN.