ABSTRACT
This chapter frames its analysis of white-collar crime in the region by using the portrayal of the Caribbean as a space that, although beautiful, is a haven for illicit activities. The chapter’s principal argument is that external imperatives that seek to address the deluge of illegal acts of import to ‘developed’ countries within Caribbean jurisdictions inform the ways in which such criminal activities are addressed in the region. As a result, Caribbean jurisdictions appear to prioritize efforts to address external concerns such as those relating to money laundering, in efforts to rescind the portrayal of the region as a zone of illegality, and the consequences that flow from this. Meanwhile, action against violent criminal activities tend to be more focused on the treatment of crime directly affecting the inhabitants of the region, but leaving high-level white-collar criminal activities that may implicate local business and political elites to be handled with a relatively light touch.
