Land grabs in the Caribbean, often linked to disaster capitalism, involve the acquisition of land by foreign investors or corporations with the cooperation of state representatives following natural disasters or economic crises.
These investors exploit vulnerable situations to secure land for resource extraction, tourism development, or large-scale agriculture, often disregarding local communities’ rights and environmental concerns.
The phenomenon intensifies social inequality, displaces communities, and undermines food security. Disaster capitalism fuels this process, as governments may prioritize attracting foreign investment over protecting citizens’ interests.
Additionally, lax regulations and corruption facilitate land grabs, perpetuating a cycle of exploitation and disenfranchisement in the region. Land grabs in this vein are one of the most common disaster capitalism phenomena impacting SCT’s partners as seen in Barbuda, Grenada, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, among others.
