US Offers Carrot & Stick to Conquer the Caribbean? Leaders Urged to Resist Trump’s Unreasonable Demands

“The US will try to pick off Caribbean governments one-by-one with a carrot-and-stick approach” to achieve President Trump’s unreasonable demands, warns Prof. C Justin Robinson. However, the University of the West Indies Pro Vice-Chancellor urges Caribbean leaders to “hold one head”. He was speaking on the podcast, Caribbean Tea. The Trump administration is muscling its way in the Caribbean. It has issued threats and made requests that are bitter pills for Caribbean leaders.

Caribbean leaders are rattled by US demands to end a decades-old practice of accepting Cuban doctors to serve in their health sector or face visa sanctions.

The United States is expanding its Cuba-related visa restriction policy. @StateDept has taken steps to restrict visa issuance to Cuban and complicit third-country government officials and individuals responsible for Cuba’s exploitative labor export program. We will promote…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 25, 2025

Babados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, bristles at the claim that the region is aiding human trafficking. She declared her willingness to put her US visa on the line.

Wading through feistiness and commitment to defiance, Prof. Robinson cautions that incumbent and opposition parties are vulnerable to US pressure. Given the transactional nature of the Trump administration’s quest for global dominance, unscrupulous political parties could become puppets of the administration, Robinson warns.

Will Caribbean Leaders Put Their People’s Interest Before Their Lust for Power?

Expect the Trump administration to wave a carrot at selfish politicians seeking power, Prof. Robinson says. The promise of power could make strange bedfellows. With the U.S. waving a big stick at them, Prof. Robinson is of the the view that political actors in the region may acquiesce to Trump’s unreasonable demands. This is a real possibility he says.

There is strong perception in the Caribbean that United States historically influences who holds the reins of government in the region. Prof. Robinson believes this is a card the US could play to subdue and have its way with political parties. However, Mottley calls for resoluteness, stating that “what the Cubans have been able to do for us, far from approximating itself to human trafficking, has been to save lives and libs and sight for many in the Caribbean”.

Amidst the beating of the chest is the stark reality- several governments in the Caribbean will have to face the people  at polls in General Elections due in 2025. This is occurring with staggering inflation rates. Food price inflation in the region surged over the past four years which cover the incumbents’ term in office. With cost of living through the roof, incumbents could do with some help from the US. However, the US has rolled back aid to the Caribbean

Heads of government have been scrambling to put together a coherent response to rapid shifts in US policies. The leaders of the 15-member regional bloc met in Barbados in February for the 48th regular meeting. The future of U.S.-Caribbean relations was at the top of the agenda. They left that meeting hoping to convince President Donald Trump to visit the region.

The Caribbean Have No Cards to Resist Trump’s Unreasonable Demands

“I Think we have to be frank … We don’t really have any big bargaining chips“, Robinson says. However the UWI Professor, says “that doesn’t mean have you have to lie down and just play dead”.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves stressed the importance of engaging the Trump administration. Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressed the same sentiment. However, it is not clear what they will bring to the table.

The new US administration is trying to reshape the global playfield to blunt emerging spheres of power and influence. “They don’t want a multi-polar world”, says Prof. Robin, a historical economist. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes this very clear in this clip from his appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.

.@SecRubio on tariffs: “I understand why these countries don’t like it — because the status quo of trade is good for them. It benefits them… We are going to set a new status quo… We have de-industrialized the United States of America. There are things we can no longer make.” pic.twitter.com/HOj9MpfTm4

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2025

However, the Vincentian historical economist notes Uncle Sam is asserting itself too late in the game. He says historical trends are stacked against Trump’s “Make America Great Again“. Prof. Robinson points out that there have been remarkable shifts in the population and economies of the world. He points out that power, wealth and influence are in multiple locations. The US “is swimming against a strong tide” he teases.

Caribbean leaders are also rattled by the Trump administration’s freezing of foreign aid, withdrawal from the World Health Organization and rollback of immigration protection for Haitian migrants in the U.S. They note that the new stance by the U.S. could exacerbate Haiti’s perilous problem with gangs. Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressed hope that the U.S. considers the impact of its drastic policy shifts.

Watch the full episode of Caribbean Tea with Prof. Ca. Juston Robinson below.