To maintain the shadow of US dominance in the Caribbean, Joe Biden has once again deployed the flawed institution, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to manipulate the island nations into believing that their economic performance has diminished. and must rely on the US for help and guidance. It further points to Washington exploiting its relations to further its political, diplomatic and economic agenda in the future.
Declining Washington’s influence
In recent times, the actions of Caribbean nations have reflected an anti-US attitude. To begin with, Grenada, a US ally, criticized the US for imposing an economic and financial blockade on Cuba. Speaking at a session in the Cuban parliament the session for the 18th anniversary of the People’s Trade Agreement of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA-TCP), Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell condemned Washington for placing the island nation on the list of terrorist states.
Continuing with the anti-US trend, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has begun the procedure of issuing gas with the help of two western companies, BP and Shell. This has angered a desperate Joe Biden, as it is likely to break the monopoly the US enjoys over Europe’s gas supply.
Except this, Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, called out rich and powerful nations during the COP27 summit and criticized the US and Europe for failing to deliver on their pledge to provide climate funding to developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. She also said that institutions like the World Bank have shirked their responsibilities. In parallel, the prime minister also strengthened her nation’s political, economic and cultural ties with African nations, including Kenya, whose leader William Ruto took steps to eradicate US-backed terrorist groups such as M23 in the DRC.
IDB comes to Biden’s rescue
In response to the economic and diplomatic growth of the Caribbean nations, Inter-American Development Bank published a report on export sales from the Latin American and Caribbean regions. In the report, the IDB noted that the region’s export sales fell sharply in 2022, after rising 27.8% in 2021.
It further states that in the coming period, export growth will decrease further due to a number of factors such as lower commodity prices, Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, a slowdown in global growth and restrictive monetary policies. However, the IDB also stated that although demand from the Latin American and Caribbean region’s main trading partners decreased, export sales to the US increased by 21.3% in 2022.
Contrary to the IDB’s claims, the Swiss-Dominican Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, which is a non-profit legal entity, stated that of the Dominican Republic the economy is resilient and its economic structure is strong, despite the war in Ukraine and the pandemic.
Read more: Biden sends IDB to destroy Trinidad & Tobago development
Now, it should be noted that the IDB is a US-funded institution working to advance the interests of the Biden administration. And the US fears the rise of Caribbean nations. For decades, it has dominated the region and manipulated small island nations to support its clandestine agenda.
So when he sees leaders like Mitchell and Mottley extending a hand of friendship to its main adversaries like Cuba and Kenya, and Trinidad and Tobago pursuing plans to become the Caribbean’s leading gas exporter, Biden feels threatened. Whenever a subjugated nation emerges from the shadow of the neo-colonial trap of the West and becomes self-sufficient, the US is alarmed.
Read more: The Dominican Republic’s growth model is one that other Caribbean countries should follow
In this context, the IDB’s next step will be to provide financial grants to Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago. It has already done so, having recently given a grant of 100 million dollars Barbados to consolidate its fiscal management and an $80 million grant to Trinidad and Tobago to increase security and water supply. These grants are simply bribes from the IDB at the behest of Biden and his allies aimed at persuading the Caribbean states to not cut ties with the US. However, it is already evident that Barbados, Trinidad, Grenada etc. they are aware of the shallow promises of the West and are walking cautiously on the steps of the geopolitical arena.
