STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF THE BISHOP GOVERNMENT OF GRENADA UPON UNITED STATES AND CARIBBEAN RELATIONS

The purpose of this thesis is to examine relations between the United States and Grenada since the Grenadian coup of March 13, 1979, and to study the impact of the coup in the English-speaking Caribbean. A chronological investigation of United States-Grenadian relations is presented with special attention given to specific events which best demonstrate the developing relationship. United States responses--political, economic and military--to the coup are examined, followed by an investigation of specific responses by Caribbean states. Tension between the U.S. and Grenada escalated rapidly. Grenada adopted domestic and foreign policies perceived as destabilizing and undemocratic. When Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Dominica sided with Grenada, regional harmony was disrupted and relations strained. Relations between the U.S. and Grenada will continue to deteriorate as Grenada follows a militant-socialist foreign policy. Grenada's policies will fuel the growing ideological gap within the Caribbean, rendering regional cooperation less effective.