A New Era of South-South Cooperation: Development Partnerships between CARICOM, Cuba and Venezuela

• In Event: South-South Cooperation

Abstract

This paper addresses the conference theme of precariousness and emerging opportunities from the perspective of LAC solidarity to protect human development in a time of economic crisis.
For Caribbean actors, their development partnerships with Latin America entered a new phase early in the 21st century. Engulfed in economic crises and austerity programmes, partnerships with Cuba and Venezuela in education, health and energy became crucial to economic survival and the search for new avenues for economic growth.South-South development cooperation has received much academic and policy attention in recent years. Paper discusses PetroCaribe and Cuba-CARICOM cooperation programmes, examining their objectives, interests of partners, organization and outputs. It looks at the implications for various sectors, the influence on discourses on development within the countries. It concludes with a preliminary assessment of the human development contributions and the overall impact on LAC relations.

Author

• Jessica M Byron-Reid, University of the West Indies