Amidst escalating diplomatic tensions between Caribbean leaders, the Caribbean Community Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) has issued a strong declaration of support for regional economic integration and the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). The organization, serving as the umbrella body for seven national private sector associations, emphasized the critical importance of maintaining unity within the 15-member regional bloc.
The CPSO highlighted the substantial economic benefits derived from the CSME framework, noting its significant contributions to intra-regional trade, supply chain reinforcement, and foreign exchange earnings across member states including Trinidad and Tobago. Since attaining associate institution status within Caricom, the private sector group has actively collaborated with business organizations to advance projects aligned with CSME objectives.
This reaffirmation of commitment comes against the backdrop of heated exchanges between Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar regarding Caricom’s stance toward Venezuela. Persad-Bissessar had previously accused certain Caricom members of aligning with what she termed ‘the Maduro narco government,’ while expressing concerns about Venezuela’s territorial threats toward Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
The CPSO statement strategically emphasized the complementary nature of Caricom’s trading relationships, noting that regional integration and strong external partnerships—particularly with the United States as Caricom’s largest external trading partner—are mutually reinforcing rather than contradictory. The organization stressed that in times of global economic uncertainty, private sector success depends fundamentally on confidence, stability, and constructive engagement among member states.
Concluding with a call for solidarity, the CPSO endorsed the ‘stronger together’ principle, recognizing Caricom as essential for transforming regional vulnerabilities into assets through strategic global economic integration. The statement was jointly endorsed by private sector organizations from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, OECS, Suriname, and Belize.