The Kingston Pivot: US Diplomacy and the New Caribbean Frontier.

Caribbean GEOPOLITICAL WARFARE

In a series of high-stakes diplomatic maneuvers, the Caribbean has once again become a central theater for global power competition. The recent visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Kingston on March 26, 2025, represents more than a routine diplomatic check-in; it is a calculated move by the United States to fortify its "Third Border" against the encroaching influence of the China-backed energy block and to tighten the regional consensus around the ongoing Cuban oil embargo.

A Unified Front: The State and Defense Agenda

The visit, which included meetings between Secretary Rubio and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, underscored a dual-track strategy of security and energy. While the "War Department" (represented through modern defense and security cooperation frameworks) focused on maritime domain awareness and intelligence sharing to combat "transnational criminal networks," the State Department’s focus was squarely on energy security.

Washington’s primary objective in Kingston was to ensure that Jamaica remains the anchor of a US-led energy shield. By promoting Jamaica as a regional hub for American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the US is effectively creating a firewall to prevent Chinese energy investments from moving north from South America into the Greater Antilles.

The Shadow of the China Resource War

The timing of these visits is no coincidence. As China secures deep-water port projects and energy infrastructure in nations like Suriname and Guyana, the US is racing to lock in "loyalty" among traditional allies. This "resource war" is being fought not just over oil and gas, but over the infrastructure that delivers them. In Jamaica, this manifests as a push for digital and physical infrastructure that is "secure"—a diplomatic euphemism for the exclusion of Chinese technology and capital from critical Caribbean networks.

For Jamaica, the pressure is immense. Prime Minister Holness has reaffirmed a "strategic partnership" with the US, but the underlying reality is a regional market being sliced in two. On one side stands a US-aligned bloc fueled by American LNG; on the other, a burgeoning Chinese-funded energy corridor that offers tempting credit but carries significant geopolitical risks.

Tightening the Noose on Cuba

Perhaps the most sensitive aspect of this involvement is the quiet coordination regarding the Cuban oil embargo. By securing Jamaica’s cooperation in regional security and energy logistics, the US effectively closes a potential "leak" in the sanctions regime. Jamaica’s decision to transition its energy sector to US-sourced gas makes it legally and technically impossible for Kingston to act as a middleman for fuel headed to Havana.

The silence of Jamaica’s political opposition on this matter—most notably the People’s National Party—is a testament to the effectiveness of this diplomatic "full-court press." The US has made it clear that energy security and economic stability are contingent on adhering to the broader regional strategy of isolating the Cuban government.

The Cost of Neutrality

As the US strengthens its involvement, the traditional Caribbean stance of "non-alignment" is becoming a relic of the past. The visits to Kingston signal that in the modern resource war, there is little room for neutral ground. Jamaica has been chosen as the "Shield of the North," a position that brings with it the benefits of American security and energy but also the heavy burden of being the front line in a superpower struggle that shows no signs of cooling.