Toward the Antillean Dream: History, Geopolitics, and the Economics of a Unified Caribbean

A story about a revolutionist that history forgot.

Ramon E. Betances, physician, abolitionist, and revolutionary.

“Si Haiti pudo ser libre, nosotros tambien podemos”

(“If Haiti can be free, we can be too.”) — Ramon E. Betances

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Introduction: The Vision of Betances and the Caribbean Crossroads

Unless you’re from Puerto Rico or an island in the Caribbean, odds are you haven’t heard the name Ramón Emeterio Betances. However, you should have. He should be a household name. It is no coincidence that Western-focused history books intentionally omitted his name in an attempt to erase his legacy. Let’s revisit the story of Betances, a revolutionist, so that his story may live on forever.

In the 19th century, Ramon Emeterio Betances envisioned something that at the time seemed infeasible, a unified Caribbean. He was incredibly inspired by the Haitian Revolution, perceiving their fight for independence as a…