Caption: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Caricom leaders. Photo: US Department of State 

Summary

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CARICOM leaders the US wants a ‘new dynamic’ with the region built on shared priorities.
• He said the most urgent regional security threat is transnational criminal organizations fueled by narcotrafficking.
• Rubio pledged deeper security cooperation, including efforts to stop US-sourced weapons reaching gangs and to expand designations/sanctions.
• He pointed to opportunities for joint economic growth, especially in energy development and investment.
• Rubio said the US is focused on stability and recovery in Venezuela and supports a path toward fair democratic elections.

 

By Peter Richards

BASSETERRE – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is interested in building a new framework for cooperation in the Western Hemisphere and is partnering with Caribbean countries “on the issues we share in common.”

Addressing a meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders at their 50th regular summit in St Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday, Rubio said the Donald Trump administration believes the most urgent security threat in the region is transnational criminal organisations, “many of which have funding and power that rival—if not exceed—those of the nation-states they threaten.”

“We recognise that it is an interlocked challenge,” Rubio said. “Number one, they’re obviously fuelled by narcotrafficking and other illicit means,” he added, noting that drugs trafficked through the region and the proceeds from them often end up on the streets of the United States.

“This is a danger in the countries that they transit, and it’s ultimately a danger to the national security of the United States,” he said.

Rubio said Washington is also concerned about the level of weaponry these groups possess. “We recognise that many of these groups are buying weaponry from the United States, and we are committed to working very hard with our law enforcement agencies to shut that down,” he said.

“I hope you have seen, both in the case of Haiti and in other situations, that we have not shied away—not just from designating groups for what they are; these are terroristic organisations—but also from targeting individuals who support them,” Rubio said. “This is something we share,” he said.

Rubio said the United States has a long history of working with Caribbean partners to respond to these challenges, but added that cooperation must deepen as the criminal networks grow stronger. He pointed to the influence drug cartels have established in Mexico and called for collective action to prevent similar outcomes elsewhere.

He also highlighted “extraordinary opportunities for economic advancement,” including energy cooperation. Rubio said energy is critical to the region’s future and to economic growth.

“Many of the countries represented here today have energy resources that I know you seek to explore responsibly and safely, but in a way that generates wealth and prosperity for your people,” he said. “We want to be your partner in that regard.”

Turning to Venezuela, Rubio said that regardless of how some Caribbean countries may have viewed US policy and military operations related to Venezuela, he believed the country was “better off today than it was eight weeks ago.”

“The progress being made there is substantial, and there’s a long way to go,” he said. “But the new interim authorities, led by Delcy Rodríguez, have done things that eight or nine weeks ago would have been unimaginable.”

Rubio said authorities have released political prisoners and closed Helicoide, which he described as “their most infamous prison.” He said oil revenue is again being generated “to the benefit of their people,” including funding for government services and medical equipment.

He said Washington remains committed to supporting Venezuela’s recovery. “We have reopened our embassy in Caracas, where we have an excellent chargé on the ground, along with other government officials, and we intend to continue to build on that,” he said.

Rubio added that Venezuela will ultimately need “fair, democratic elections” to gain legitimacy and fully develop. Rubio said that after “Maduro’s capture,” Washington’s immediate priority was to prevent instability, mass migration, and spillover violence. “We believe we have achieved that,” he said.

He said Venezuela is now moving from stability toward recovery, but must address deep internal fractures and economic dysfunction.

Rubio said a prosperous and democratic Venezuela could become a key partner to countries in the region, including on energy, and would reduce instability in the hemisphere. “So we expect to work very closely with all of you on that topic as well,” he said, adding that it is tied to regional security.

Rubio said Washington wants the region—including the southern United States—to be seen as part of the Caribbean Basin and a destination for investment. He said the United States wants to facilitate opportunities for American businesses and investors to support regional diversification efforts.

“The stronger, the safer, the more prosperous, and the more secure all of the countries in the region are, the stronger, safer, more secure, and prosperous the United States is going to be,” he said.

“We view our security, our prosperity, and our stability as intricately tied to yours,” Rubio added, saying the United States would demonstrate its commitment through action.

Rubio said he hoped his visit would serve as a “real-world demonstration” of Washington’s commitment to partnership. “I don’t even want to call it resetting relations,” he said. “We have longstanding ties to each of you bilaterally and all of you collectively, but [we are] reinvigorating our relationships because we have a lot in common to work on—both opportunities and challenges.”

He said that over the next three years, while he remains in office, strengthening those ties would be a personal priority. “It will be one that I will be personally engaged in,” Rubio told the regional leaders. (CMC)