The document provides background information on several historical events and natural disasters that have impacted Caribbean countries, including: 1) The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 which brought the US and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war over Soviet missiles placed in Cuba. 2) Hurricanes Gilbert in 1988 and Ivan in 2004 that caused massive damage and loss of life in Jamaica through strong winds and flooding. 3) Urban renewal efforts in the Bahamas since 2002 to tackle crime, poverty, and other social issues in inner cities. 4) The 1937 Parsley Massacre in the Dominican Republic where the dictator Trujillo ordered the killing of thousands of Haitian immigrants. 5) Political instability