"The United States Is a Caribbean Nation": Washington Put Real Money Behind Its Own Backyard. Keep Going
At the U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue on Oct. 15, the State Department announced new commitments for undersea cables, port security, law enforcement and health care. In our view, securing the region on America's doorstep is America First in practice.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 16, 2026 | 6-min read For decades, Washington lavished attention on conflicts half a world away while the islands just off Florida's coast were treated as an afterthought. On Thursday, that changed in a concrete way. Speaking at the opening of the U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue at the State Department, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told regional leaders that "the United States is a Caribbean nation" and announced new American commitments for undersea cables, port security, law enforcement and health care [1]. In our view, this is what putting America first looks like: securing our own neighborhood. Key Takeaways The State Department hosted Caribbean leaders on Oct. 15, with Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre speaking as CARICOM chair [1][2]. Landau announced $175.8 million for secure undersea cables, $37 million for port security and digital infrastructure, $55.5 million for law enforcement and $11 million in Foreign Military Financing [1]. He also announced $61.5 million to launch a regional health workforce initiative called ASPIRE [1]. An investment dialogue with the U.S. private sector is planned for next year, and a Caribbean Basin Security Initiative ministerial for spring