No One Is Coming To Save Us: The Caribbean's Reckoning

The Caribbean must take charge of its own development and economic future, writes Prof. C. Justin Robinson.

Feb. 24, 2026 at 4:48pm

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The author argues that the Caribbean can no longer depend on external support or the rules-based international order, as the Trump administration's 'America First' policy and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the region's vulnerabilities. He calls for the Caribbean to take decisive action to build self-reliant economies, invest in education and renewable energy, deepen regional integration, and forge a common foreign policy to navigate a fragmenting world.

Why it matters

The Caribbean has long relied on favorable trade arrangements, tourism, remittances, and migration as economic cushions, but these dependencies have been eroded. The region must now confront the compound failure of a development model built on external factors that no longer exist, and chart a new course towards greater self-reliance and opportunity.

The details

The author argues that the Caribbean has failed to develop its economies by accident, but rather has developed the economies that existing power structures required, with the status quo benefiting import merchants, fragmented politicians, and cheap labor for tourism. He outlines five key shifts the region must make: 1) Turning climate adaptation into an export industry, 2) Building digital infrastructure as a foundation for service industries, 3) Keeping energy dollars circulating within the region through renewable energy, 4) Extending the integration model of the OECS across CARICOM, and 5) Forging a common foreign policy to amplify the Caribbean's collective voice.

  • The last 12 months have been an education for the Caribbean, as the Trump administration's 'America First' policy and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the region's vulnerabilities.
  • Migration policies in the US, UK, and Canada have shifted structurally, closing off a critical economic escape hatch for the Caribbean.

The players

Prof. C. Justin Robinson

The Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, who authored this op-ed.

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What they’re saying

“The rules-based international order we were told to trust has revealed itself as a convenience for the powerful, suspended the moment it becomes inconvenient. We are on our own.”

— Prof. C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal (thestkittsnevisobserver.com)

“What would a Caribbean built for greater opportunity and self-reliance actually look like? Picture the software developer working from Antigua for clients in São Paulo and New York compensated at global rates, spending locally, raising her children where she was raised.”

— Prof. C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal (thestkittsnevisobserver.com)

What’s next

The author calls on Caribbean governments to convene not for communiqués but for commitments, with measurable goals and deadlines. He also calls on the private sector to invest in production and training, and on citizens to demand more from their leaders and policies to build economies their children will choose to stay in.

The takeaway

The Caribbean can no longer depend on external support or the rules-based international order to cushion its economic vulnerabilities. The region must take decisive action to build self-reliant, diversified economies that create opportunities for its citizens, through strategic investments in climate adaptation, digital infrastructure, renewable energy, regional integration, and a unified foreign policy.