Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised April 28, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF10789 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Mark P. Sullivan |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
In 2009, the United States developed the Caribbean Basin
Security Initiative (CBSI), a regional U.S. foreign
assistance program, through a process of dialogue with
Caribbean countries. The initiative seeks to reduce illicit
trafficking in the region, advance public safety and security,
and promote social justice. Because of their geographic
location, many Caribbean nations are vulnerable to being
used as transit countries for illicit drugs from South
America destined for the U.S. and European markets.
Strengthened U.S. counternarcotics cooperation with
Mexico and Central America—through the Mérida
Initiative and the Central America Regional Security
Initiative (CARSI)—led U.S. policymakers to anticipate a
potential increase in narcotics trafficking through the
Caribbean. Many Caribbean countries have also suffered
high rates of violent crime, including murder, often
associated with drug trafficking activities.
President Obama announced the initiative at the fifth
Summit of the Americas in April 2009. U.S. and Caribbean
representatives followed up with several meetings in the
region in 2009 and then in 2010, held an inaugural
Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue in
Washington DC, which approved a declaration of
principles, a framework for engagement, and a broad action
plan. Seven additional Caribbean-U.S. security dialogues
have been held, with the most recent in November 2017 in
the Dominican Republic.
Congress has supported funding for the CBSI. From
FY2010 through FY2018, Congress appropriated almost
$559 million for the CBSI benefiting 13 Caribbean
countries—Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados,
Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago (see Table
1 and Figure 1). For FY2017, the Obama Administration
requested $48.4 million for the CBSI; however, Congress
appropriated $57.7 million, the same as for FY2016.
For each of FY2018 and FY2019, the Trump
Administration requested $36.2 million, about a 37%
decrease from FY2017. For FY2018, however, Congress
appropriated $57.7 million in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141; H.R. 1625,
Explanatory Statement, Division K), the same as in
FY2017.
