A growing leadership dispute within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has prompted Belize Prime Minister John Briceño to publicly and firmly back incumbent Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, pushing back against Trinidad and Tobago’s demands for a leadership shakeup at the regional bloc’s top administrative body. The rift emerged after Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister publicly raised objections to the process that led to Dr. Barnett’s reappointment, with the Trinidadian government claiming it was improperly excluded from the consultations that finalized the decision.
In a public statement addressing the growing internal divide, Briceño made clear that Belize stands unified behind Dr. Barnett, a Belizean national whom he described as exceptionally well-qualified for the role, and fully deserving of renewed confidence from CARICOM member states. Addressing domestic critiques that point to Dr. Barnett’s past affiliation with Belize’s opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Briceño emphasized that partisan political differences within national borders do not override regional solidarity. “We might have our differences here in Belize, but outside of Belize we are one and stand by one another,” he noted.
Briceño also pushed back on Trinidad and Tobago’s claims of exclusion, outlining the sequence of events that led to the country’s absence from the critical heads of government conference where the reappointment was advanced. He confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister made the choice not to attend the closed-door meeting of CARICOM heads, and when conference chair Prime Minister Drew of Saint Kitts and Nevis extended an invitation to the country’s foreign minister to attend in her place, the official declined the offer citing seasickness.
Briceño acknowledged that Dr. Barnett’s tenure, like any leadership role, leaves space for incremental improvement, but added that such refinements should be addressed through internal discussion among member state leaders rather than public calls for her removal. The Belizean prime minister added that regional leaders will convene a new meeting in the near term to discuss the dispute, and expressed his hope that member states can reach a mutually agreeable resolution that preserves the unity of the 15-nation regional bloc.