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Kamla calls CARICOM’s leadership dysfunctional, incompetent
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has intensified her criticism of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), accusing the regional body of concealing what she described as a corrupt backroom operation that undermines the organisation and harms Caribbean citizens.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar
On April 11, Caricom published a statement on its Facebook page from Chairman, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew. The statement sought to dismiss concerns raised by Trinidad and Tobago regarding the reappointment of Dr. Carla Barnett as the Secretary General. Persad-Bissessar said the statement failed to address key issues, including a WhatsApp message sent on February 26, to all Caricom Foreign Ministers. “Nowhere in the statement crafted by GS Barnett did she address the WhatsApp message sent on the COFCOR WhatsApp group to all Caricom Foreign Ministers at 8:55 a.m.,” she stated.
She added that Minister Sean Sobers viewed the message at 8:56 a.m. and that its contents were later confirmed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Caricom Director with Chef de Cabinet Janice Miller. “Yet to date, not a single member of the Caricom Secretariat or Caricom Foreign Minister who is a participant of that WhatsApp group show the decency, honesty or courage to acknowledge that Minister Sobers is being truthful,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Caricom Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett
She described Caricom’s leadership as dysfunctional and incompetent, claiming that appointments are often based on political connections rather than merit. “This is what happens when instead of appointing competent technocrats to run the organization, friends, party hacks, relatives of politicians and affiliates of regional sister parties are dumped into managerial positions to maintain the old boys club order,” she declared.
Persad-Bissessar alleged that Caricom’s operations are frequently manipulated to benefit aligned political parties, while excluding those outside the entrenched political class. She reiterated her demand for documentation, including minutes and performance appraisals, to support the reappointment process. “Surely there must be timestamped minutes, performance appraisals etc. Even village councils and sports clubs document their meetings far less an organization over half a century old,” she said.
She emphasised that Trinidad and Tobago, having invested billions of dollars into CARICOM over 52 years, will not exit the organisation. “We helped build this organization and will be a part of fixing it to benefit all the people of Caricom,” she affirmed. Persad-Bissessar stressed that Trinidad and Tobago’s economic, security, and development future is tied to Caricom and cannot be compromised by internal political maneuvering. “This matter will continue to be ruthlessly and relentlessly publicly escalated and prosecuted until persons are held accountable for their odious actions and proper reforms are made,” she said. She repeated her warning from December 2025: “Caricom cannot continue to operate in this dysfunctional and self-destructive manner as it is a grave disservice to the people of the Caribbean.”
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