Many regional leaders worry that the U.S. oil embargo on Cuba will have spillover consequences.
By Alexandra Sharp, the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Donroe Doctrine is front and center at this week’s Caribbean Community leaders’ summit. The 15-nation bloc and five associate members kicked off four-day proceedings in St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday to discuss major pressing issues, including how U.S. policy is impacting the region. But with the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Caribbean leaders are expected to also prioritize resetting relations with Washington.
Trump heralded the Donroe Doctrine during his State of the Union address late Tuesday. Although some Caribbean leaders have praised the United States’ military actions, many are concerned that continued U.S. intervention in the region could have devastating humanitarian and economic consequences.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Donroe Doctrine is front and center at this week’s Caribbean Community leaders’ summit. The 15-nation bloc and five associate members kicked off four-day proceedings in St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday to discuss major pressing issues, including how U.S. policy is impacting the region. But with the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Caribbean leaders are expected to also prioritize resetting relations with Washington.
Trump heralded the Donroe Doctrine during his State of the Union address late Tuesday. Although some Caribbean leaders have praised the United States’ military actions, many are concerned that continued U.S. intervention in the region could have devastating humanitarian and economic consequences.
Among the biggest concerns is Washington’s pressure campaign on Cuba. By Trump threatening to impose U.S. tariffs on any nation that supplies Havana with oil, the island has been forced to ration energy, halt surgeries, and suspend flights. The White House has also pressured other countries to reject Cuban medical missions, cutting Havana off from a key source of foreign currency. This has all contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis on the island that Caribbean leaders fear could destabilize the broader region.
However, on Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department posted new guidance on its website that appeared to somewhat relax the oil restrictions on Cuba, stating that it would authorize companies seeking licenses to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba as long as such transactions “support the Cuban people, including the Cuban private sector (e.g., exports for commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba).” But, it added, “transactions involving, or for the benefit, of any persons or entities associated with the Cuban military, intelligence services, or other government institutions” would not be authorized.
Read more in today’s World Brief: Rubio Meets With Caribbean Leaders to Discuss U.S. Policy.
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.
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