Rahym R. Augustin-Joseph | The Caribbean’s danc between superpowers

Looking ahead to 2026, the priority for the Caribbean must be balancing how to live in the spectre of geopolitical tensions among global superpowers. This is crucial as the foreign policy of Caribbean countries is inextricably linked to their economic survival.

For us in the Eastern Caribbean, the US’ imposition of visa restrictions on Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, due to their Citizenship by Investment programmes, shows another attempt by superpowers to dictate the policies of small states. This smacks of irony given their role in perpetuating economic underdevelopment.

Thus, the US has used the “VISA”, which has served as a gateway to the economic enfranchisement of our people, as a bargaining tool to bring small states to the table to negotiate against their interests. This tactic has been deployed to increase pressure on countries that maintain friendly relations with those who have pursued a non-capitalist development pathway whom the US do not align with.

In 2026, the Eastern Caribbean will have to navigate the difficult situation of balancing our allies and friends to ensure continued economic viability while also maintaining our sovereignty. Though, in the wider Caribbean, there is an urgent need for all right-thinking Caribbean patriots to denounce the shouting match that political leaders perpetuate via online platforms. Instead, we should call for them to engage in diplomacy to resolve issues facing the region.

But it goes without saying that in 2026, the Caribbean must put on the agenda for consideration, the troubling invitation of war and anti-regional integration postures by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The Caribbean must strive to remain a zone of peace, while also ensuring that any actions taken within the region does not breach international law, the rule of law, and the principles of good governance.

Rahym R. Augustin-Joseph is the 2025 Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholar. A native from Saint Lucia, he is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford.