For years, US officials have been in a quandary about how to counter Venezuela’s political influence in Central American and the Caribbean through its subsidized oil exports. Now, the Obama administration is quietly launching a plan that it hopes will help counter its importance.
In a little-noticed Aug 27 ceremony in Washington, senior officials from the United States and Grenada signed an agreement that US officials say will serve as a pilot programme to help 17 Caribbean and Central American countries to become more self-sufficient in energy, and less dependent on Venezuelan exports.
While some critics say the programme is too little, too late, most agree that — if successful — it could change not only the