In an unprecedented diplomatic rupture within the Caribbean Community, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly denounced CARICOM as “dysfunctional” and declared her nation’s separation from the regional bloc’s stance on recent U.S. visa restrictions.
The dramatic break occurred following the December 16, 2025, U.S. decision to implement visa category restrictions for foreign nationals. While CARICOM leadership collectively criticized the American move, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar issued a scathing statement asserting that “the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is not a party to the statement issued by the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government.”
The Prime Minister defended Washington’s sovereign right to implement policies serving its national interests, characterizing the U.S. action as “a measured response.” Her statement delivered a blistering assessment of CARICOM’s current state, describing the organization as “not a reliable partner at this time” and warning of “widening fissures that if left unaddressed will lead to its implosion.”
Persad-Bissessar attributed the regional body’s deterioration to “poor management, lax accountability, factional divisions, destabilising policies, private conflicts, and the inappropriate meddling in the domestic politics of member states.” She called for confronting “the rot within the organisation with transparency and honesty.”
In perhaps her most controversial charge, the Prime Minister accused CARICOM of “disparaging our greatest ally the United States” while allegedly supporting “the Maduro narco-government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands.”
Concluding with a stark warning about repercussions for CARICOM’s stance, Persad-Bissessar unequivocally prioritized national sovereignty: “CARICOM will not determine our future, only the citizens of our country will choose our path.”