The Waters of the Caribbean Sea

The Waters of the Caribbean Sea

November 6, 2025

Yesterday afternoon, I attended the DCNA & CARMABI Water Quality Symposium — a thoughtful event about the health of our seas, coral reefs, and the fragile balance of marine ecosystems in the Dutch Caribbean. Researchers and policymakers discussed data, innovations, and collaborations aimed at improving water quality. Important work, and vital for our islands’ future.

Yet, as I listened, my mind drifted to another association with the waters of the Caribbean Sea — one that’s far more unsettling.

In recent weeks, the United States has deployed an unprecedented concentration of military hardware across the Caribbean. Venezuelan boats have been intercepted and, in some cases, fired upon. Meanwhile, the largest Russian military aircraft — the Ilyushin Il-76 — recently landed in Caracas, reportedly carrying military equipment. The tensions in our waters are rising, quietly but steadily.

And yet, we hear almost nothing about it. No official briefings, no alerts to prepare for disruptions, no advice to stock up on essentials or keep some cash on hand. Silence.

Recently, regional leaders reminded us that the Caribbean is meant to be a zone of peace. Our economies depend on that peace — tourists do not travel to war zones. We cannot afford instability, not militarily, not politically, not economically.

Still, peace is not just declared — it must be governed. It is the duty of our leaders to inform, prepare, and protect their citizens. Pretending that external threats do not concern us is not neutrality; it is negligence.

It reminds me of early 2022, when Russian troops were amassing along Ukraine’s borders. For months, the buildup was visible to anyone paying attention — but most dismissed the possibility of an invasion. Until, of course, it happened.

We in the Caribbean live as if global events are far away, as if the tides of history stop at our shores. But the waters that surround us are not isolated. They connect us — and sometimes, they carry storms.

Miguel Goede