PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said a whole lot at the recent 50th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Kitts and Nevis. She spoke frankly, passionately, and unapologetically.
I understand how Trinidad views CARICOM. I understand, in this instance, why it is hard for the prime minister to swallow the pill that the ‘Caribbean must remain a zone of peace’, given her and Guyana’s most recent experiences with Venezuela.
I support Persaud-Bissessar, in principle, because I think that our region is far from a zone of peace, given the mounting levels of gang violence in Haiti, crime and security issues in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, the dictatorship in Cuba, and the spiralling threat to annex Essequibo from Guyana.
The prime minister’s appeal that Caricom must work for all citizens, and should be the voice for all citizens is right.
On the other hand, I am a slave and student of history, so I cannot ever agree with the PM blindly and in direct contrast to my conscience. History is replete with examples of how badly and improperly Trinidad and Tobago, as a Caricom nation, has behaved in the past on straightforward issues related to the bloc, regional integration, the free movement of people, regional trade, regional cooperation and regional politics.
While it sounds nice when the PM asserts that CARICOM should not be the voice for incumbent parties and governments alone, it would be prudent for her to state whether her party and government had sent political and other people to interfere in the elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines or Barbados. I wholeheartedly agree with the PM that CARICOM should not be misused for political gain by anyone or anyone close to the incumbent government.
I even support the statement that CARICOM and CARICOM Governments should not involve themselves in the domestic politics and political affairs of its members.
But the reality is while a large amount of Caribbean and CARICOM countries can abide, a few big ones cannot abide honestly by these principles.
That aside, there is more to complain about these things we call regional integration, regional unity, a community, and common destiny.
For many decades, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been a master of the “aspirational”. We have been searching and seeking the “ideal”.
Our summits conclude with polished communiqués promising a “reinvigorated partnership”, reenergised commitment and “lofty objectives”.
Yet, as we stand in 2026, the rhetoric of regional unity is increasingly colliding with the hard reality of national survival. I think this is what the T&T PM was alluding to when she complained of regional governments not having each other’s backs when faced with an external threat. Those governments prioritise their individual goals and security, not realising that if, for instance, Guyana can have its borders threatened with annexation, then their borders are not safe and secure.
If CARICOM is to truly evolve this year, it must finally move from the conference table to the tarmac, the shipping dock, and the legislative floor.
The time for talk is over. To remain relevant in a global order dominated by shifting power dynamics, CARICOM must prioritise three pillars of tangible progress.
It must start by realising the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This remains our most vital yet elusive goal. While four nations—Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—pledged to implement full free movement by late 2025, others have lagged, citing legislative framework delays.
In 2026, a unified economic space cannot remain a dream; it must be a lived reality where capital and labour flow as freely as our shared culture.
They must place infrastructure over ideology. Someone must tell CARICOM that integration is impossible without connectivity.
Leaders are finally discussing a “regional Ferry project” and expanding air routes to bridge our archipelagic divide. These are not just transport issues; they are the lifelines of regional trade and food security.
Without a reliable way to move goods and people, our ‘unity’ is merely symbolic.
CARICOM needs to engage in decisive collective diplomacy. Whether responding to the ongoing crisis in Haiti or providing humanitarian aid to Cuba, CARICOM must speak with a single, potent voice.
We cannot afford to operate in silos when facing global challenges like climate change or the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence.
As Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently noted, we must be “disciplined enough to convert these dreams… into reality”.
The 50th Regular Meeting of Heads of Government in St. Kitts and Nevis this February served as a reminder of our potential. However, the citizens of the Caribbean are no longer satisfied with “strategic focus”; they demand “tangible results”.
In 2026, CARICOM’s evolution depends on a simple shift from the eloquence of the podium to the efficacy of the policy.
We have talked for fifty years. It is now time to build. It is time for action. Talk is over!
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.5624