Although Jamaica has a stable parliamentary democracy and is a middle-income developing country, the government of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson faces several significant challenges. These include a violent crime wave fueled by gangs and drug trafficking; high external debt, estimated at 135% of gross domestic product, that could constrain the government’s social expenditures; and an adult HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 1%. This report discusses U.S. relations with Jamaica, which are close and characterized by significant economic linkages and cooperation on such bilateral issues as anti-drug trafficking measures, hurricane reconstruction support, and efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic.
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Description
Although Jamaica has a stable parliamentary democracy and is a middle-income developing country, the government of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson faces several significant challenges. These include a violent crime wave fueled by gangs and drug trafficking; high external debt, estimated at 135% of gross domestic product, that could constrain the government’s social expenditures; and an adult HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 1%. This report discusses U.S. relations with Jamaica, which are close and characterized by significant economic linkages and cooperation on such bilateral issues as anti-drug trafficking measures, hurricane reconstruction support, and efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic.
This report is part of the following collection of related materials.
Congressional Research Service Reports
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the public policy research arm of Congress. This legislative branch agency works exclusively for Members of Congress, their committees and their staff. This collection includes CRS reports from the mid-1960's through 2018—covering a variety of topics from agriculture to foreign policy to welfare.
Sullivan, Mark P.Jamaica: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations,
report,
February 3, 2006;
Washington D.C..
(https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8287/:
accessed July 19, 2025),
University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu;
crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.