In a Very Rare Handwritten Letter of Ronald Reagan as President, He Describes His Caribbean and Central American Policy in Praising Its Centerpiece – Jamaica

He also, surprisingly, hints at U.S. insensitivity in the region in the past, and has no intention “shot-gunning” this time

Michael Manley served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980. Coming from a prosperous background, Manley was a democratic socialist. Once in office, he set about instituting policies for redistributing land and wealth, and aiding the poor and underprivileged. He also became a champion of the less-developed nations’ nonaligned movement. He cultivated close relationships with Cuba and the socialist countries of eastern Europe and the Far East, a move that did not sit well with the United States, which withdrew aid. His second term was marked by increasing polarization and a sharp economic decline.

As a result of these hard times, Edward Seaga’s Labour Party swept to electoral victory on October 30, 1980, with a mandate for change as great as that won by Reagan less than a week later. On becoming Jamaica’s new Prime Minister, Seaga promised an ambitious program to reverse eight years of Manley socialism. To do so, he promised to pursue a free market strategy. And to show his strong pro-Western stance on foreign policy, Seaga broke relations with Cuba and downgraded ties with other Soviet bloc nations. Ronald Reagan and American policymakers were impressed. As Reagan later stated, “I conceived the idea of doing something for Jamaica when Seaga won the election and took that country back from Communist rule. But already under that Communist rule the economy had been virtually destroyed and devastated.” President Reagan determined to make Jamaica a Caribbean showcase and instituted aid policies.

In February 1981, Seaga travelled to the U.S. President Reagan warmly received him in Washington, and promised full support for Seaga’s attempt to develop Jamaica through private initiative. With Reagan’s blessing, Seaga went to New York, where he helped inaugurate the U.S. Business Committee on Jamaica, chaired by banker David Rockefeller, which was designed to serve as a catalyst for the promotion of investment, technical assistance, and tourism. Over its first three years, the Committee initiated 46 investment proposals involving U.S. $130 million. Moreover, direct U.S. aid increased dramatically, including balance of payment support through the U.S./Jamaica Bilateral Economic Development Program. These programs would lead to the Caribbean Basin Initiative initiated by the U.S. in 1983 to provide several tariff and trade benefits to many Central American and Caribbean countries. Provisions in the initiative prevented the United States from extending preferences to countries that it judged to be contrary to its interests or that had expropriated American property. Reagan was proud of his Jamaica program as a prototype, and felt “the results have been amazing.” He later designated Jamaica the jewel of his Caribbean Basin Initiative, a program intended to revive sickly island economies with the “magic of the marketplace.”

Reagan’s pride in his Jamaica program is evident in this letter, as he tells of the Rockefeller task force working to increase private investment, and his intention to involve a number of nations in the Americas in his Caribbean and Central American initiative. He also, very surprisingly, admits that the U.S. may have been insensitive in its dealings in those regions in the past. Autograph letter signed, as President, on White House letterhead, Washington, July 7, 1981, to his old friend from Hollywood, Academy Award winning writer and director Douglas Morrow. “I’m afraid your letter of 29th January got side tracked by our (believe it or not) 30 volunteers who are helping with the mail. I get them directly if on the envelop above the name you just put 16690.

“Thanks to Helene [Van Damm] I received the June 9 letter. I appreciate very much your thoughts on our Caribbean & Central America plan. I agree completely on not shot-gunning and like you, believe our previous efforts have been a little? insensitive. We have a good ‘private sector’ task force working on Jamaica. On the general program we intend to involve at the top level Mexico, Canada, & Venezuela. Incidentally, David Rockefeller is chairing the Jamaica task force. They are trying to get private investment to build or rebuild (after Manley) the economy. Again thanks & sorry about that first letter. Nancy sends regards. Sincerely, Ron.”

ALSs of Reagan as President are scarce, and this one provides a deep insight into the centerpiece of his Caribbean and Central American policies – Jamaica – and a peek behind the curtain with his hint at U.S. insensitivity in the past.

Interestingly, Seaga’s efforts led to their own economic woes, and in 1989 socialist Michael Manley was returned to office.