Caribbean climate and environmental advocates are raising alarm over what they describe as a renewed form of imperial domination, driven by militarism, economic coercion, and environmental exploitation, which they argue is undermining the region’s sovereignty and pursuit of justice.
The concerns were outlined during a virtual forum titled “Fossil Fuels, Finance and the Future of Caribbean Studies: An Unhealthy Conundrum,” convened by Friends of the Earth Grenada and regional partners. Participants argued that global power dynamics continue to position the Caribbean as a strategic zone for external control, despite its recognized status as a sovereign community under international law.
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Central to the discussion was the re-emergence of geopolitical doctrines shaping the region’s autonomy. Advocates pointed to a modernized interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, reinforced through what they described as the “Trump Corollary,” which frames the Caribbean and Latin America as areas of exclusive United States influence.
Caribbean climate advocate Martin Felix argued that such frameworks normalize political interference, economic pressure, and even the threat of force, actions he says violate principles of sovereign equality and non-intervention outlined in the United Nations Charter.
Felix contended that Caribbean sovereignty is increasingly treated as conditional, shaped by external interests, particularly those tied to the fossil fuel industry. “Sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and development conditionalities push Caribbean states toward extractive pathways,” he said, warning that these approaches deepen economic dependency while heightening climate vulnerability.
Participants emphasized that the expansion of fossil fuel projects across the region, often influenced by external actors, contradicts both climate science and international legal standards. They argued that such development pathways undermine global agreements that recognize the rights of historically exploited regions to pursue sustainable development.
The forum also highlighted the broader consequences of weakening international climate cooperation. According to Felix, the retreat of major emitting nations from environmental commitments has immediate implications for Small Island Developing States. “It means escalating loss and damage, reduced fiscal space, and growing threats to territorial integrity, cultural survival, and even the right to life,” he said.
Speakers framed climate change as not only an environmental issue but also a human rights crisis. Drawing on international legal frameworks such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, they argued that fossil fuel-driven climate impacts threaten access to health, food, water, and adequate living conditions.
The concept of the Caribbean as a “zone of peace” was also reinterpreted during the forum. Advocates asserted that peace must extend beyond the absence of armed conflict to include freedom from economic coercion, environmental harm, and policies that expose populations to preventable disasters.
Vincentian-born academic Sherrill-Ann Mason moderated the discussion, ensuring a focus on accountability and global justice. Contributors drew parallels between the Caribbean and other regions in the Global South, highlighting shared experiences of extractivism, a model characterized by large-scale resource exploitation for export.
Pablo Fajardo Mendoza cited the environmental and health impacts of oil operations in the Amazon, while James Hospedales described climate change as a global public health emergency disproportionately affecting Caribbean populations.
Advocates argued that these patterns point to systemic failures in international law to hold corporations accountable, strengthening calls for binding global regulations on environmental crimes and corporate responsibility.
From a policy perspective, Gillian Cooper highlighted the declining economic viability of fossil fuels, noting that continued investment in extraction exposes vulnerable states to financial and ecological risks. Participants stressed that wealthier, high-emitting nations have a legal and moral obligation to support a just transition in the Caribbean through financing, technology transfer, debt relief, and compensation for climate-related loss and damage.
Bwengye Rajab Yusuf linked Caribbean demands for reparations to broader Global South movements, arguing that current climate injustices are rooted in centuries of colonial exploitation.
Legal scholar Alana Malinde S. N. Lancaster emphasized the importance of asserting Caribbean legal agency, framing “de-fossilization” as a right rather than a concession. She noted that the region’s disproportionate climate losses provide a strong legal basis for reparations grounded in equity, liability, and intergenerational justice.
The forum concluded with a renewed commitment from regional organizations to advance climate justice as both a legal and reparatory struggle. Participants stressed that Caribbean states must not be forced to bear the burden of a crisis they did not create, particularly as powerful nations retreat from their obligations.
Joseph Antoine reinforced the call for action, urging regional leaders to assert sovereignty, reject external coercion, and demand accountability for historical and climate injustices.
“It requires asserting Caribbean sovereignty under international law, rejecting imperial coercion, and insisting on a future shaped by environmental justice and human dignity over profit,” Antoine said. “Now is the time to translate these convictions into concrete action.”
