The West Indies

Abstract

IT could be said that since the Cuban crisis of 1962 the Caribbean region as a whole has been in a vacuum. Despite the Communist control of Cuba the West Indies are directly involved in the Cold War. Equally, they are not strong enough to pursue a positive policy of neutrality (though their insulation from world stresses has, I believe, encouraged the flowering of a distinctive West Indian culture, particularly in literature). The Americans are unlikely to allow any further Soviet penetration of the area; but appear to regard its many component parts as too small and poor to be either profitable or dangerous, except for the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The British, French and Dutch West Indies are thus left with the need to work out their own future.