Caribbean hopes for continued good relations with US under Trump

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Caribbean politicians and academics Wednesday reacted to the election of billionaire Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, expressing hope for continued good relations with Washington, even as they acknowledged that the region should be prepared for an influx of nationals returning home.

Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Sir Hilary Beckles warned the Caribbean to be prepared for returning nationals and other migrants from North America.

Sir Hilary said that Trump’s philosophies and policies could lead to a demographic change in the Caribbean over time.

Speaking on a post-US presidential analysis on the implications for the Caribbean at the Mona campus of the UWI, the Barbadian-born academic said, “You will also witness, I am sure, a migration of Hispanics out of North America.

“You will witness the return of many Caribbean citizens out of North America and we have to prepare ourselves for return migration. Understand that these are going to be the forces that will be unleashed,” he said, telling the symposium “this is not the first time this has happened”.

He said there was a similar situation when Margaret Thatcher won the elections in Great Britain and became prime minister in 1979, saying she came to power “with very similar philosophical constructs and that was the beginning of the net migration of Caribbean peoples out of Britain”.

Sir Hilary said Trump’s victory will also have an effect on the global recession, predicting it will have an adverse impact on the global economy. Read more
Source: Observer