KAMALA Harris is President Joe Biden’s point person for the Caribbean.
Ms. Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican-born father, spearheads the high-powered US-Caribbean Partnership.
That cooperation includes law and order matters, such as gun control and forensics, along with climate change, the Haitian crisis, poverty reduction, and capacity building by various Caribbean countries.
Under Ms. Harris’ watch, two years ago, the US and Guyana signed an Export-Import Bank agreement that would provide up to US $2 billion in assistance for energy, water treatment, sanitation, and other projects.
Trinidad and Tobago and the US have a technical assistance agreement for clean energy and grid resilience.
The Americans are providing aid to T&T’s climate change projects.
Ms. Harris has also overseen agreements with several other Caribbean countries, including St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname, Dominica and St. Kitts-Nevis.
Many of those pacts pertain to climate change power projects.
The US Vice President told a meeting of Caricom leaders in The Bahamas in June 2023 that there is a need for an enhanced diplomatic presence in the Eastern Caribbean.
The Americans have lately increased engagement with the region and appointed vibrant ambassadors, such as Candace Bond, the representative in T&T.
Ms. Harris announced US $100 million worth of aid to fight trafficking in illegal weapons, ease the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and support climate change initiatives.
Strengthening the US-Caribbean is “a priority for me,” as it is for Biden, Ms. Harris stated.
She identified several matters in which the US, under her watch, has assisted the region.
“We are neighbours in the Western Hemisphere,” she observed.
She has committed to boosting ties, especially on the identified matters.
In addition, illegal migration, food security and Venezuela are issues that are likely to capture her attention.
The fact that Ms. Harris’ mother was an Indian migrant to the US is also expected to make her more sensitive to the developing world’s issues.
While the Caribbean is not a global hotspot, she has shown a keen interest in responding to matters that impact the region’s people.
She is also expected to receive the electoral support of Caribbean migrants to the US, many of whom would identify with her politics and ancestry.
But she must first cross the critical hurdle of defeating Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.
