Since the XIX century begins withdrawal of the colonial countries of the empires. As a result of the slave uprising French colony of San Domingo, first gained independence in 1804. The remainder of Hispaniola was conquered Haitians in 1821, but in 1844 this territory formed the Dominican Republic. After a series of wars with the U.S. intervention, Cuba gained its independence from Spain in 1898, and the island of Puerto Rico, moved to the United States of America, which began to play a dominant role in the region. In 1903, with the participation of the United States after the separation of Panama from Colombia was built the Panama Canal, linking the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It was opened on August 15, 1914 and was administered by the United States until December 31, 1999. In 1917 Denmark sold its ownership of the U.S., and they got the name of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the period from 1958 to 1962, Britain controlled most of the land had been allocated to the Federation of the West Indies, which then disintegrated into separate states.
12 December 2001 the Heads of State and Government of member countries of the Association of Caribbean States, gathered on the island of Margarita (Venezuela) adopted a "Declaration of Margarita, which recognizes the common heritage of the Caribbean Sea and an invaluable asset, and sets the direction of cooperation in trade, tourism , transport and disaster management. 29 July 2005 at a meeting in Panama, members of the Association have confirmed their intentions.