Puerto Rico News: Caribbean Basin Security Initiative

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Caribbean Basin Security Initiative - US Department of State

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The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) is the latest pillar of a U.S. security strategy focused on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere. CBSI brings all ...

Caribbean Basin Security Initiative
Sunday June 23rd, 2013 at 1:08 PM

The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) is the latest pillar of a U.S. security strategy focused on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere. CBSI brings all members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic together to jointly collaborate on regional security with the United States as a partner. The United States is making a significant contribution to CBSI, committing $203 million in funding for the first three years of the initiative.

The United States and Caribbean countries have identified three core objectives to deal with the threats facing the Caribbean:

Substantially Reduce Illicit Trafficking: through programs ranging from counternarcotics to reducing the flow of illegal arms/light weapons.
Increase Public Safety and Security: through programs ranging from reducing crime and violence to improving border security.
Promote Social Justice: through programs designed to promote justice sector reform, combat government corruption, and assist vulnerable populations at risk of recruitment into criminal organizations.

These objectives are not just about drug interdiction. CBSI is a whole of government approach to citizen safety. Citizen Safety Focuses on:

Partnerships: A defining purpose of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere is to build effective partnerships to advance our common strategic interests—partnerships that can better develop, mobilize and apply the capacity of the region toward accomplishing shared objectives.
The Personal Element: Our commitment to broad partnerships that advance citizen safety signals that the U.S. understands that while security is a key priority throughout the region, people often understand security in a personal way on their street corners, on a bus to and from work, or in their markets.
Crime Linkages: Forging effective partnerships requires an understanding of and an ability to address fundamental links between local, transnational and "white collar" crime (e.g., corruption), and the nexus between these threats and the big social and economic challenges the region faces. We seek to improve public safety, improving security for each and every citizen through these partnerships.

Related Documents

-01/17/13   Spanish Version: The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative: A Shared Regional Security Partnership  [1324 Kb]
-01/17/13   Spanish Version: The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative: A Shared Regional Security Partnership (Dominican Republic)  [1057 Kb]
-12/13/12  Third Caribbean - United States Security Cooperation Dialogue; Office of the Spokesperson; Washington, DC
-12/03/12   The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative: A Shared Regional Security Partnership [