Regional leaders rebuke Kamla over attack on CARICOM

Dec 22, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – A wave of sharp criticism from regional leaders has followed Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s blistering attack on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), igniting one of the most serious public rifts the regional bloc has faced in years.

Persad-Bissessar on Saturday described CARICOM as “not a reliable partner at this time” after the United States announced partial entry restrictions on nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica on 16 December. In a media statement, she made clear that Trinidad and Tobago was not party to a CARICOM Bureau statement expressing concern over the US action. The Prime Minister argued that sovereign states must accept the consequences of their foreign and domestic policy decisions and defended Washington’s move as a measured response to Citizenship by Investment programmes operated by Antigua and Dominica. “CARICOM cannot continue to operate in this dysfunctional and self-destructive manner,” Persad-Bissessar said. She highlighted what she described as poor management, lax accountability, factional divisions, destabilising policies, and inappropriate meddling in domestic politics by some member states. The Prime Minister added that the organisation’s support for the Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has been accused of human rights violations and threats against CARICOM members, further undermines its credibility.

However, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne on Sunday in response to a Persad-Bissessar said his country respects the sovereign right of CARICOM members to conduct bilateral relations but expects the same respect for its own engagements with the United States.

Prime Minister Browne addressed assertions that CARICOM is an unreliable partner. He cited trade data from 2024 showing Trinidad and Tobago earned more than $1.1 billion in foreign exchange from the region. According to Prime Minister Browne, Trinidad and Tobago maintains the only net positive trade balance in the Community. He noted that CARICOM states forwent $142.7 million in customs revenue in 2024 to support Trinidad and Tobago manufacturing through the Common External Tariff. Regarding regional stability, Prime Minister Browne stated that CARICOM security mechanisms and intelligence sharing remain essential pillars for addressing crime in Trinidad and Tobago. He emphasised that Antigua and Barbuda supports these collective efforts. Prime Minister Browne rejected claims that Antigua and Barbuda leaders spoke negatively about the United States. He stated no evidence exists for the assertion and cited ongoing cooperation on security, immigration, and multilateral matters. Prime Minister Browne concluded that regional consultation is not disloyalty and that interdependence remains valuable to the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, former T&T Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said that since Independence in 1962 he has not seen a leader he regards as more unpatriotic or incompetent. He said he also has not encountered a statement from a national leader that he considers more offensive to Trinidad and Tobago’s sovereign right to agree or disagree on matters affecting the country and its interests. Rowley accused Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar and her administration of reducing Trinidad and Tobago to what he described as a vassal state. He alleged that the government is taking instructions from another country and warning citizens that the country must behave in order to avoid consequences such as restrictions on access to United States visas.

According to the former Prime Minister, such actions amount to a rejection of the Constitution and a denial of the legitimacy of Trinidad and Tobago as a sovereign nation. He said the approach undermines the idea that the country’s existence warrants defence or vision by its leaders. The statement also addressed Trinidad and Tobago’s role within the Caribbean Community. Former Prime Minister Dr. Rowley said the public withdrawal from CARICOM matters and decisions places the country in a position he characterised as dangerous. He suggested that this stance is motivated by expectations of protection or reward from the United States. Former Prime Minister Dr Rowley further criticised Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar for actions he said followed a recent general election in which she received a special majority. He referred to increased security measures in the country and alleged that the Prime Minister has not addressed the population to explain agreements made with United States authorities. He also said the Prime Minister has declined to appear before local media to answer questions about her decisions and policies. Former Prime Minister Dr. Rowley stated that the Prime Minister has described public concern and questioning as anti-American. In closing, Former Prime Minister Dr. Rowley expressed concern about the country’s future. He said there is hope that the situation will change but indicated that, based on current circumstances, the outlook is uncertain.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and current opposition senator, Amery Browne said since very early in this term of office Persad-Bissessar made it clear that she has taken on an assignment to divide and destroy CARICOM. “She has refused to participate in key meetings of the Community, she has abandoned her responsibilities in the CARICOM quasi-Cabinet, she has resiled from official CARICOM statements, and she has deliberately misconstrued and denigrated fundamental CARICOM principles such as the Zone of Peace amongst Caribbean nations,” Browne noted.

He said this latest attack on CARICOM by the Prime Minister represents a new low point for her as the Head of Government of one of the founding member states of our regional family. “Her anti-CARICOM rant is erratic, inflammatory, full of baseless rhetoric and even includes a paragraph that portends to publicly “explain”, in a most misleading and self-serving manner, a US position to CARICOM leaders on behalf of the United States of America. Her audacity can never be mistaken for prudence.” Browne said it is now extremely important that “our citizens make it clear that Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not speaking to CARICOM on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago society. Her rants do not convey our national standards, values, and principles. The exporters of our good and services to other CARICOM member states do not share her views, and they deserve better. No one voted for these unhinged declarations by Kamla Persad-Bissessar. “ Browne said “the “unreliable” partner in this region is her, not the rest of CARICOM. The question has to be again asked, who is advising the Prime Minister to communicate in such a bombastic manner? What good does she believe the people of Trinidad and Tobago could derive from her repeated attacks on CARICOM? Whose interest is this Prime Minister seeking by undermining CARICOM in such a frenzied manner?”

But Trinidad and Tobago Member of Parliament Barry Padarath in a statement Sunday supporting Persad-Bissessar stated the government stands with their prime minister as she confronts national security challenges. He said the Prime Minister is demonstrating that diplomacy involves bold leadership and strategic alliances rather than passive observation. Padarath criticised Dr. Rowley, stating he should remain in retirement. He alleged Rowley spent ten years using Caricom to advance personal interests. Padarath described Caricom as a forum that must address gun trafficking, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. He stated the government will not support tyranny or despotism.

According to the statement, Persad-Bissessar is redefining foreign policy through actions intended to provide security and economic benefits. Padarath claimed these actions address issues resulting from ten years of PNM administration. The statement noted that regional solidarity is not defined by viewing the Caribbean as a zone of peace. Padarath said the Prime Minister is establishing a “Trinidad and Tobago first” position.

Persad-Bissessar on Saturday insisted that Trinidad and Tobago will put its national interest first, asserting that CARICOM will not determine the country’s future. “The citizens of our country will choose our path,” she said, framing the dispute as a test of national sovereignty and regional solidarity. Her statement comes after a public exchange of criticism within Trinidad and Tobago. Former Prime Minister Stuart Young had accused Persad-Bissessar of harming CARICOM and undermining bilateral relations with the US, calling her government’s handling of the matter “disturbing” and “flippant.” Former Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Minister Amery Browne echoed the criticism, describing Persad-Bissessar as “unprincipled” and accusing her of using public rhetoric to suppress dissent and evade accountability. Persad-Bissessar defended her position, asserting that the Trinidad and Tobago government maintains its own independent foreign policy, separate from CARICOM’s political ideologies or security and economic policies. She said that the US restrictions should be seen as consequences of the actions of other nations, and reiterated the need for transparency and honesty in evaluating CARICOM’s role as a regional body.

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• attack, CARICOM, Kamla, Regional leaders

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