By Ron Cheong

For much of the modern postcolonial era, the Caribbean has lived inside a permanent contradiction. Its small states speak the language of sovereignty, solidarity, anti-imperialism, and regional fraternity. Yet they survive in a world dominated by overwhelming asymmetries of power – economic, military, and political. No contradiction illustrates this more painfully than the Caribbean’s present dilemma regarding Cuba, Venezuela, and the United States.

At one level, the issue appears binary: remain loyal to Cuba, the region’s long-time friend and benefactor, or align more closely with the United States, the hemisphere’s dominant superpower. But the reality is far more complicated because Venezuela sits at the center of the equation – economically, ideologically, geographically, and militarily.

The Caribbean today is caught between gratitude, fear, morality, and survival.

Cuba: The Loyal Friend

For decades, Cuba did what few larger nations ever bothered to do for the Caribbean.

Cuban doctors staffed rural clinics across the region. Cuban medical brigades appeared after hurricanes, epidemics, and disasters. Thousands of Caribbean students received scholarships to study medicine in Havana when Western education was financially unreachable. In many islands, healthcare systems became deeply dependent on Cuban personnel.

Cuba’s relationship with the Caribbean was never merely transactional. It was rooted in a shared history of colonialism, race, vulnerability, and resistance to external domination. And nations, like people, remember loyalty.

The relationship deepened further through Venezuela’s PetroCaribe initiative. Cheap Venezuelan oil purchased on concessionary terms provided fragile Caribbean economies with breathing room during periods of debt, energy shocks, and fiscal crisis. PetroCaribe was not simply economics; it was oil diplomacy – the conversion of energy wealth into political influence and regional solidarity.

At the center of this arrangement stood the close political partnership between Cuba and Venezuela. Caracas supplied subsidized oil. Havana supplied expertise, intelligence, and legitimacy. Caribbean states benefited from both. For many governments, this was not ideology. It was survival.

When Survival Changes Shape

But survival has changed shape.

As Venezuela descended into economic collapse, political authoritarianism, and increasingly aggressive regional behavior, the moral equation shifted dramatically – especially for Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana now faces an existential territorial threat through the Essequibo dispute with Venezuela. Trinidad, sitting only miles from the Venezuelan coast, confronts the dangers of instability spilling across its borders: migration pressures, organized crime, and strategic vulnerability. This transforms the Caribbean dilemma entirely.

The region is no longer simply choosing between friendship and power. It is choosing between historical loyalty and physical security. And in moments of danger, moral philosophy itself becomes uncomfortable.

The Archbishop And The Chambermaid

The dilemma resembles William Godwin’s famous thought experiment from An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice: “The Archbishop and the Chambermaid.”

Godwin asked whom one should save from a burning building – a brilliant archbishop whose survival benefits humanity, or a chambermaid whose death affects far fewer people. His answer was coldly utilitarian: morality requires saving the person of greater social value.

But critics raised the devastating counter-question:

What if the chambermaid is your mother? Your wife? Your lifelong benefactor?

That is the Caribbean’s Cuba problem. Pure strategic logic may point toward alignment with the United States. Whatever the inconsistencies or moral contradictions of American foreign policy, only the United States possesses the military and economic power capable of deterring Venezuelan aggression against Guyana or wider regional instability.

But Cuba is not an abstract geopolitical actor to the Caribbean. Cuba is the friend who came when others did not. To abandon Cuba under pressure from Washington feels, to many, less like diplomacy than betrayal.

“One Thought Too Many”

The philosopher Bernard Williams sharpened the dilemma even further when he argued that if a man pauses to calculate whether morality permits him to save his own wife first, he has already had “one thought too many.”

His point was that human beings cannot live morally while treating loved ones as morally interchangeable with strangers. Loyalty itself is part of what gives life meaning. Yet, governments are not private individuals.

States carry obligations not merely to friendship or historical gratitude, but to the survival of their citizens. In moments of crisis, nations often behave according to a brutal form of triage: preserving what has the greatest chance of survival, even when the choice feels morally wounding.

This is why the Caribbean’s predicament cannot be resolved through abstract moral rules alone. Immanuel Kant’s ideal that we should act only according to principles we would wish universally applied becomes difficult to sustain when the very existence of small states may be at stake.

Absolute loyalty can become national suicide. But pure self-interest destroys the trust and solidarity upon which small nations themselves depend.

America: Protector And Problem

The final irony is perhaps the cruelest.

The United States itself often behaves in ways that undermine the moral clarity of its demands. Its history in Latin America and the Caribbean includes interventions, embargoes, covert operations, and deeply inconsistent commitments to democracy and sovereignty.

And yet Caribbean states understand an uncomfortable truth: if Venezuela truly threatens Guyana’s territorial integrity or wider regional stability, only the United States possesses the credible power to deter it.

Not Cuba.
Not CARICOM.
Not international law alone.

This is the tragedy of power politics. Moral discomfort does not eliminate strategic dependence.

The Caribbean’s Burden

Large powers often speak in the language of principle because they possess the luxury of abstraction.

Small states rarely do. For the Caribbean, every diplomatic choice carries existential consequences. Choosing Cuba may jeopardize security and economic access. To choose America may feel like abandoning a loyal friend. To oppose Venezuela risks retaliation. To accommodate Venezuela, risks future coercion.

There is no morally clean path because the Caribbean does not control the structure within which these choices are made. And perhaps that is the deepest lesson of all: Ethical theories are easiest to defend when one’s survival is not at stake. For small nations living beside great powers and unstable neighbors, morality is never abstract. It is lived under pressure, memory, fear, necessity, and the constant calculation of survival. The Caribbean’s challenge is no longer simply balancing principle against power. For some states, particularly those facing immediate security risks, it has become a matter of reconciling longstanding political solidarities with pressing concerns about territorial integrity, stability, and national security.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ron Cheong is a frequent political commentator and columnist whose recent work focuses on international relations, economic resilience, and Caribbean-American affairs. He is a community activist and dedicated volunteer with extensive international banking experience. Now residing in Toronto, Canada, he is a fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto.

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By Dr. Isaac Newton 

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. May 27, 2026: Guyana stands at one of the most unusual moments in modern history. It is a nation where record-breaking economic growth and everyday struggle are happening at the same time. In one Guyana, oil wealth is transforming budgets and global rankings. In the other Guyana, families are calculating survival one week at a time. The true challenge is not growth. The challenge is unity. The task of this generation is to turn two Guyana’s into one shared destiny where national wealth becomes lived dignity for every citizen.

The first step is to tie every dollar of national resource wealth directly to visible human outcomes. Guyana must adopt a national transformation contract that legally links oil revenues to education results, healthcare access, housing delivery, food affordability, and job creation. Citizens should not need economic reports to understand progress. They should see it in shorter hospital lines, stronger schools, lower food prices, and safer communities. When people can see where the money goes and feel what it changes, trust becomes national stability.

The second step is to fix the cost of living with urgency and precision. Growth means nothing if daily life becomes harder. The government should remove taxes on essential food items, strengthen local food production through guaranteed farm purchasing programs, and reduce import dependence through agricultural expansion. At the same time, wages for teachers, nurses, and public workers must be adjusted to match real inflation, not delayed statistics. A country is not successful when its workers are employed. It is successful when its workers can live.

The third step is to build a people owned economy, not only a resource driven one. Every major sector connected to oil, construction, and services should prioritize Guyanese workers, suppliers, and entrepreneurs through enforceable local content laws. Young people should be given direct pathways into ownership through low interest business financing, national entrepreneurship hubs, and technical training linked to real industry demand. A nation becomes powerful when its citizens are not only job seekers but job creators.

The fourth step is radical trust building through transparent governance. Every major government contract should be publicly visible on a digital platform that shows cost, timeline, contractor, and progress. Performance dashboards should track hospitals, schools, housing, and infrastructure in real time. Leadership should be measured by delivery, not speeches. When systems become visible, corruption loses its hiding place and public confidence becomes stronger than political division.

The fifth step is to bring Guyanese talent home and keep it home. Competitive salaries, housing support, professional development, and leadership pipelines must be created for teachers, doctors, engineers, and civil servants. At the same time, the diaspora should be actively invited into national rebuilding through structured return programs. A country does not lose its people because of distance. It loses them because of doubt. To keep its people, it must restore belief.

Guyana now faces a simple but historic choice. It can become a country where wealth is visible only in national accounts or a country where wealth is felt in every household. The difference between those two futures is not economics alone. It is leadership discipline. If Guyana aligns its resources with fairness, its systems with transparency, and its growth with human dignity, it will not just be a fast growing economy. It will become a fully united nation with one shared destiny.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Isaac Newton is a leadership strategist and governance expert educated at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia and Oakwood University. He advises leaders and institutions across the Caribbean on ethical leadership, organizational culture, and transformational change. He is the co author of Steps to Good Governance.

RELATED: Guyana At 60: The Oil Is Flowing. So Why Are Guyanese Buying Tennis Rolls On Credit?

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 26, 2026: Guyana turned 60 today; 60 years since its independence from Britain in 1966.

At a flag-raising ceremony for the nation’s 60th Independence Anniversary at Fort Island along the Essequibo River, President Irfaan Ali declared that Guyana is now “one of the world’s fastest-growing economies worth more than US$75 billion.”

“We are today, the fastest growing economy on earth,” he was quoted as saying. “Not in this hemisphere, not in the Caribbean – but on an entire planet.”

On paper, the numbers are staggering. The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that Guyana led the world with an average real GDP growth of 47 percent per year between 2022 and 2024, recording double-digit growth for six consecutive years. Oil production from the offshore Stabroek Block now surpasses 915,000 barrels per day, making Guyana South America’s third-largest oil producer. The national budget crossed one trillion Guyanese dollars for the first time in 2024. Per capita income, once recorded at around $340, is projected to approach $38,000 by 2028.

Impressive numbers. But numbers, as any Guyanese on the ground will tell you, don’t buy tennis rolls.

The Other Guyana

This week, ahead of the pomp and ceremony surrounding the 60th, the Guyana Kaieteur News reported something that should stop everyone mid-applause: the cost of living in Guyana – the globally promoted oil-rich capital of the Caribbean – has become so high that many Guyanese are now buying single tennis rolls, butter flaps, and small pastries on credit just to survive the week.

Let that sink in. The fastest-growing economy on earth. And its people are eating on credit.

According to Numbeo data, the estimated monthly costs for a family of four in Guyana run approximately GY$708,000 – roughly US$2,500 – excluding rent. The average gross salary ranges from G$100,000 to G$174,000 per month – between $480 and $835 USD. The median individual income is between G$50,000 and G$60,000 – or between $240 and $290 USD – meaning half of the country’s workforce earns less than this.

A standard senior citizen receives a non-contributory Old Age Pension of G$46,000 per month – approximately $220 USD. Compare that to the Numbeo cost-of-living estimate, and you see the disparity in stark relief.

As the war in Iran sends gas prices soaring, Guyanese are being forced to pay more for kerosene to cook and for transportation. Kerosene – the cheapest fuel – now runs $3.17 to $3.40 USD per gallon. Cooking gas costs roughly $22 to $27 USD. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs approximately $12 USD. A gallon of milk runs about $13. A dozen eggs, $4.50.

Who Is Actually Benefiting?

The salary data tells the real story. According to Paylab’s Guyana Salary Survey:

Expat and oil and gas engineers earn $3,000 to $6,000+ per month

Senior finance and IT managers earn $1,500 to $2,500+

Public school teachers and nurses earn $500 to $750

Administrative assistants earn $350 to $500

Retail, security, and service workers earn $290 to $350

The hospitals the government has built are understaffed and lack basic drugs in their pharmacies, forcing nationals to pay far more at private pharmacies. The many roads and bridges President Ali cited as “the clearest evidence” of transformation are real. But roads do not pay rent. Bridges do not fill a prescription.

The data clearly shows who is benefiting from the wealth the President is celebrating. Expats and foreign workers; while nationals struggle.

Corruption And The Brain Drain

On the Corruption Perceptions Index, Transparency International gives Guyana a score of 40 as of 2025 – ranking it 84th out of 182 countries.

More telling is this: in 2026, Guyanese citizens are still leaving the country despite the nation possessing one of the world’s fastest-growing GDPs. The UN’s Human Flight Index places Guyana at roughly 8.2 out of 10 – making it a leading country for human capital loss in South America, well ahead of Venezuela at 6.5 and Suriname at 5.7.

The 2026 Democracy and Development Report from the United Nations Development Programme ranks Guyana 12th globally for brain drain. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the country sits fourth – behind only Haiti, Jamaica, and one other regional nation. Nearly 90 percent of Guyanese with tertiary education eventually migrate, the report finds, with North America the most common destination. Earlier World Bank data has long held that about 39 percent of Guyanese citizens already live abroad.

Two stories are running simultaneously. One is a sovereign balance sheet that most finance ministries in the region would trade theirs for. The other is a quiet, steady exit by the people who would normally be running its hospitals, classrooms, regulatory agencies, and ministries.

The Promise Still Unkept

Many Guyanese are still awaiting the $100,000 grant the government promised since last December. That is not a footnote. That is a policy failure in the middle of an oil boom. I left Guyana in 1996, nearly 30 years ago. I have watched from the United States. Guyana has transformed from one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere to the fastest-growing economy on earth. I wanted nothing more than to celebrate that transformation today. But I cannot celebrate numbers when many are still suffering.

Guyana at 60 should be a country where every national born and living there is building real, generational wealth from the oil beneath its waters. Instead, the Natural Resource Fund sits above US$3.1 billion while Guyanese buy tennis rolls on credit.

The PPP/Civic government must move beyond rhetoric and ribbon-cuttings. Roads and bridges are necessary. They are not sufficient. Sixty years of independence demands more than infrastructure. It demands that the ordinary Guyanese – the teacher, the nurse, the security guard, the senior citizen living on $220 a month – feel this oil wealth in their daily lives. Not in presidential speeches. Not in budget headlines. In their pockets.

No one in Guyana should be struggling to buy a packet of tennis rolls in an oil-rich nation. Not at 60. Not ever. Guyana at 60 should be wealthy for all – not just for some.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Felicia J. Persaud is a Guyana-born media entrepreneur, founder of News Americas Now, Hard Beat Communications, Invest Caribbean, CaribPR Wire, and AI Capital Exchange. She has lived in the United States since 1996.