Relaciones internacionales.indb - HOMINES

SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW AND THEORY OF SUBORDINATE INTEGRATION...
and Research Centers, book and movie production. This type of economic
activity, related to tourism and culture is one of Europe’s most important
economic assets. The Caribbean also has a natural geographic and historical
advantage in this area.
Other areas of collaboration with Latin America would be a Caribbean-Latin
American satellite, a “Communication and Mass Media Industry,”
and our own cable T.V. system—producing programs that would
sell in our Caribbean-Latin American region, the U.S. and Europe. Many
unemployed workers and professionals in the Caribbean will be trying to
create industries in these areas, as a way to survive. Government must be
ready to aid these efforts. The present situation apparently may force an
efficient economic transformation in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean shall be looking for Latin American investment and
partners. Some of these economic associations and partnerships are already
being made. Venezuela and Colombia have been looking towards
the Caribbean. This of course is due to their interest in participating along
with the “North American Free Trade Agreement.” The Caribbean has
important bank and financial enclaves with tax incentives, Venezuelan and
Colombian businessmen are interested in these financial activities and are
also investing in the Caribbean hotel and housing construction.
Venezuela and Colombia have been involved in the creation of the
“G-3,” a cooperation agreement between Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia.
“The Group of the Three” (“G-3—Grupo de los Tres”) seems to be
an initiative towards closer relations with NAFTA via Mexico. 49 However
it is not very likely that NAFTA can rapidly incorporate Venezuela and
Colombia into the North American Free Trade Agreement. In a sense,
NAFTA is a sort of “Marshall Plan” for the U.S. and Canadian economies,
as well as for Latin America; nevertheless integration with Mexico is a
priority and that will take some time.
Since Venezuela and Colombia have been left out of “Merconorte”
(NAFTA) and “Mercosur” (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay),
both have been looking towards the Caribbean for investment opportunities.
Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico were granted observer status in
Caricom in 1990 and Colombia in 1991. Venezuela also proposed a “duty
free, one way trade pact” with Caricom in July of 1991. 50
Other parts of the Hispanic Caribbean have also been active in regional
49
Andrés Serbín, Carmen Gautier Mayoral, “Venezuela, Colombia y México en
las relaciones internacionales entre América Latina y El Caribe,” Claridad,
San Juan, Nov. 8-14, 1991, p. 8.
50
Doreen Hemlock, “Venezuela Seeks Caribbean Pact,” The San Juan Star, San
Juan de Puerto Rico, July, 1, 1991, pp. 1 and 14.
108
Vol. XX, Núm. x - xxxxx de 2005 • HOMINES •