White House Summit On Africa Lauded But Caribbean/Central American Investment Summit Urged

Chinese officials at Invest Caribbean Now 2014 at the Harvard Club in NYC on June 4, 2014. (Sharon Bennett image/ICN 2014)

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. August 1, 2014: While saluting the White House for its second annual U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the Board of Invest Caribbean Now, (ICN), the biggest investment summit on the Caribbean outside the region, is urging the Barack Obama administration to also put the spotlight on the Caribbean and Central America with a similar event.

Invest Caribbean Now officials on Thursday endorsed a call by CARICOM leaders for a U.S.-Caribbean/Central American Leaders Summit, noting that it is imperative that the United States of America re-engage this region to secure a more economically stable one and to begin the dialogue of working together for the best desired economic outcome.

They added that with the immigration crisis at the southern United States border, the time is now to spotlight on the urgent need for economic growth in these regions.

ICN Founder and chairman, Felicia J. Persaud, said while the African summit is important, it is equally important that the Obama administration dedicates equal attention to the US’ Third Border.

“The focus on Africa by the son of an African immigrant is commendable but what about the US’ Third border – the Caribbean and Central America?” asked Persaud. “This region continues to be given nothing but assistance on security by the U.S. when the root cause of the problem as evidenced by the influx of young children and mothers’ at the U.S’ border is economic. Imagine what US$3.7 billion in investment could do for this region instead of simply being used to shut down the southern border?”

“This is a direct call to action to the USA from the Caribbean American Diaspora, for a Caribbean Central American Leadership Summit, as President George W. Bush started in 2007,,” said ICN President, Sheila Newton-Moses. “It is a pressing concern for America to re-engage this region, to secure a more economically stable one and to begin the dialogue of working together for the best desire economic outcome. We should not be left out in the dialogue of global growth.”

Under the George W. Bush administration, a Conference on the Caribbean was held at the Organisation of American States (OAS), the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, DC. in 2007 to boost relations with the region, the United States and the Caribbean Diaspora.

Bayney Karran, CARICOM Ambassador and Guyana’s Ambassador to the U.S. and the Organization of American States, stated: “CARICOM leaders have long communicated their desire for a Summit with the US but a definitive response is overdue.”

From August 4-6th, the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit will advance the Obama Administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa and highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people.

Invest Caribbean Now, founded in 2011, has as its main focus wealth creation for the Caribbean region by capitalizing on global trends and indigenous creativity while managing scarce resources intelligently and building sound economics, investment in human development, and a strong alliance with nature. In the past four years alone, over 1,000 investment bankers, private equity investors, premiers, ministers of governments, hotel developers, tourism officials, architects, real estate developers, financial advisers, entrepreneurs, Chinese government officials and investors as well as the media have attended the event that is heavily promoted.

Past ICN honorees have included billionaire Sir Richard Branson, Sandals Resorts Founder Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart and billion-dollar company, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.