Examines the history of the United States’ relationship with the Caribbean Basin since 1898.
This paper looks into reasons behind the United States’ interest in the Caribbean basin, concluding that it is mainly due to its strategic position and America’s fear of it being used as a base for future attacks against the country. This paper covers U.S. foreign policy in the region over four periods: the Protectorate Era from 1898-1933; the Good Neighbor Policy from 1933-1953; the Cold War period from 1953-1990; and the post-Cold War era or the present time. It also looks at what changes have occurred in the Caribbean Basin in the last 20 years of relation and intervention by the U.S.
Policy changes towards the Caribbean from Carter to Reagan were dramatic. Carter was interested in promoting economic development in the region, but later shifted his focus on national security. On the other hand, Reagan utilized a more traditional approach in the opposite direction. Carter placed highest priority on multilateral approaches to security issues and respected the sovereignty of small nations. Reagan was, on the other hand, confrontational towards Grenada, so that in October 1983, he joined six Caribbean nations in invading that island in order to restore democracy to its government. He was sensitive to criticism towards his anti-Communist strategy, which led him to fashion the Caribbean Basic Initiative to promote democracy.