Summary
- PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar criticised CARICOM leaders, saying they “chose to lend support” to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro amid threats to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
- She said Trinidad and Tobago will no longer bind itself to CARICOM’s foreign and security policy and will craft its own approach to defend sovereignty.
- Persad-Bissessar thanked the US for standing against trafficking from Venezuela and claimed US military action and a tougher local policy helped reduce murders in 2025.
- She said illegal migration is straining public services and finances, and signalled Trinidad and Tobago cannot implement full CARICOM free movement in the near term.
- She called for democratic elections in Cuba and backed an international force to suppress gangs and restore order in Haiti.
By Prior Beharry
TRINIDAD and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday criticised some of her fellow leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), saying they “chose to lend support” to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro when, she claimed, he threatened Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in St Kitts and Nevis, Persad-Bissessar asked: “How could the Caribbean be a zone of peace when a narco dictator who imprisoned and killed thousands of civilians and opposition members was threatening violence on two CARICOM member states?”
“As a result of CARICOM’s unreliability in the above situation, Trinidad and Tobago’s government will no longer bind itself to the political ideologies or foreign and security policies of CARICOM,” she said.
“Going forward, Trinidad and Tobago, as an independent state, will craft our foreign and security policies to defend our sovereignty as we see fit.”
In April 2024, Maduro signed Venezuela’s “Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba,” which designated the disputed region as Venezuela’s 24th state. In March 2025, a Venezuelan naval vessel reportedly approached ExxonMobil oil production vessels operating in Guyana’s waters, allegedly threatening personnel and claiming the area as Venezuelan territory.
Support for US action
Persad-Bissessar said her government was declared persona non grata by the Maduro administration after she supported US action against alleged narco-traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and allowed the US military to set up a radar facility on Tobago.
She also thanked the United States for its support against trafficking.
“Trinidad and Tobago thanks President Trump, Secretary Rubio and the US military for standing firm against narco-trafficking, and human and arms smuggling originating from Venezuela,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar claimed that in 2024 Trinidad and Tobago recorded 623 murders, more than 40% of them gang-related, driven by narcotics and firearms smuggled from Venezuela. She also claimed that in 2025, after her administration changed policy to treat drug cartels and gangs as violent terrorist organisations, “military action by the American military in the Caribbean” contributed to a 42% reduction in murders, or 257 fewer killings.
Illegal immigration and free movement
Persad-Bissessar said illegal migration had been allowed to “flourish” in the region and claimed Trinidad and Tobago was bearing significant costs.
“Currently, Trinidad and Tobago taxpayers are footing the bills for the tens of thousands of illegal migrants living in our country,” she said.
“This has put enormous strain on our government services and financial resources. We are working diligently to resolve this illegal immigration crisis. Consequently, Trinidad and Tobago cannot proceed with the implementation of CARICOM’s full free movement and integration policies in the foreseeable future.”
Cuba
Turning to Cuba, Persad-Bissessar called for democratic elections there.
“There is global focus today on Cuba. Every leader here participated in democratic elections in our respective countries,” she said.
“Therefore, I ask: why do some CARICOM governments and political parties believe that they and their supporters should have the right to contest democratic elections to choose their leaders, but Cuban citizens should not have the right to do the same?”
She said Trinidad and Tobago supported regular, free and fair democratic elections in a multi-party system, as well as equality before the law, the rule of law, majority rule and minority rights, separation of powers, checks and balances, and accountability and transparency.
Haiti
Persad-Bissessar also said democracy in Haiti remained under threat.
“Armed gangs, political collapse and food insecurity have converged to overwhelm democracy and create a protracted emergency,” she said.
She added that Trinidad and Tobago supported “the US and Panama’s proposed gang suppression force” to restore order in Haiti, and said her government was willing to share the burden with partners to support the initiative.
