Is Caricom being cultivated to be the straw that will break the Cuban camel’s back?

Mar 04, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

Washington Think Tanks claim that ‘the Trump administration has its external priorities right’. First, it wanted to get ‘the hell’ out of Ukraine, then to secure regime change in Syria, thereafter, to wage war together with Israel on Iran and, ultimately, to seek ‘a friendly takeover’ -a euphemism for regime change- in Cuba assuming the island’s government is agreeable to ‘a transition’ that will take the country back from whence it came sixty-seven years ago.

In an effort to achieve its long sought after objective of regime change in Cuba, the US wants all fourteen member states of Caricom on its side. However, should this not be achievable, then a US engineered fracturing of the regional body should not be discounted. This will open the way for the US to partially achieve its strategic objective; “Cuba needs to change, Mr. Rubio said. But, he added, “it doesn’t have to change all at once. It doesn’t have to change from one day to the next. Everyone is mature and realistic here.”

Incidentally, reports indicate that while the US is talking ‘friendly takeover’ with the grandson of Raul Castro, it is talking ‘regime change’ with the son of the deposed Shah of Iran. Meanwhile, Muammar Gaddafi’s daughter is stepping up to the plate. In the circumstances, it seems as though we are in the era of the much touted ‘takeovers’ by the Millennials and the Genz.

The triumphalist breeze that drifted recently across Washington with the kidnapping of President and First Lady Maduro, and the killing of Ayatollah Khameni became a squall for the necons in America to rally for the call for regime in Cuba.

Save and except for a few hints dropped by the US President, his Secretary of State and the chairman of Caricom as to what is to be expected in the weeks or months ahead, the little we have to hang on to is the meeting planned for this week in Miami, Florida. That event will be hosted by President Trump to discuss US security and other concerns for the region.

In view of the fact that President Trump is under immense pressure on the home front, speculation is rife whether he will nevertheless proceed with the encounter in Florida or whether he will task Rubio and Hegseth to deputise for him or whether he will simply postpone the meeting indefinitely.

The communique issued at the end of the Fiftieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom and the Joint Statement on Caricom’s Engagement with Secretary Rubio stated inter alia; ‘The Caribbean Community, cognisant of its very close relationship with both Cuba and the USA, and mindful of the extent to which the Region can be negatively affected, is willing to participate in any way that will redound to the benefit of the Cuban people, while maintaining regional stability.’ Questions have arisen as regards interpretation of Caricom’s willingness ‘to participate in any way’ that will redound to the benefit of the Cuban people.’

Following the meeting with Rubio, President Irfaan Ali said, “We spoke about Cuba, and of course, in dealing with Cuba, it’s not a simple issue,” the President indicated that “Discussions centered on creating a framework in which the region and the United States could engage on Cuba’s development and transition.”

The current Chairman of Caricom should lead a fact-finding Caricom mission to Cuba. The mission should comprise of Heads of government and should engage in talks with the island’s leadership, have meetings with the Cuban people, religious bodies, NGOs and the private sector. They must hear for themselves the Cuban people’s view about a ‘friendly takeover’ of their sovereignty by the US.

As we wish President Ali safe journey to, and a productive meeting in Florida, he and his colleagues should, respectfully, bear in mind the advisement of their Canadian counterpart ; “Great powers (the US) have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities “… adding; “You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source of your subordination.”

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Is Caricom being cultivated to be the straw that will break the Cuban camel’s back?

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