Regional tensions resurface as Gaston Browne defends Caricom stance ahead of talks
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (Unitedpac St Lucia News) — Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has opened the new year standing by his recent remarks in defense of the Caribbean Community while signalling a willingness to engage Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in dialogue aimed at easing regional tensions.
Browne addressed the issue during a New Year’s Eve interview aired on state-owned ABS Television, responding to renewed comments by Persad-Bissessar that questioned the reliability of the Caribbean Community. Browne described such rhetoric as divisive and warned that repeated public criticism of the regional bloc risks weakening Caribbean unity at a time of mounting economic and geopolitical pressures. The renewed criticism follows Persad-Bissessar’s rejection of the Caricom “Zone of Peace” framework, a position that has fueled debate within the regional bloc.
Regional leaders have increasingly pointed to a broader U.S. policy shift in the Caribbean as a factor heightening pressure on small states to maintain cohesion in an evolving geopolitical environment.
The Antiguan leader said his intervention was not intended to inflame tensions or provoke a personal dispute, but to clarify what he described as the economic realities underpinning Caricom’s value to its member states, particularly Trinidad and Tobago.
Browne pointed to trade data showing that Trinidad and Tobago enjoys a significant surplus with Caricom, estimated at more than US$1 billion annually. He said those figures underscore the tangible benefits of regional integration and challenge claims that the partnership has failed to deliver meaningful returns.
He rejected suggestions that his remarks amounted to a personal attack on Persad-Bissessar, maintaining that his comments were factual and measured. Browne cautioned that sustained public attacks on Caricom by regional leaders could erode the collective leverage of small Caribbean states on the international stage. His warning comes amid an ongoing debate over whether Caricom is a dysfunctional and failing regional project, as divisions among member states continue to surface.
Despite the exchange, Browne said he expects Persad-Bissessar to attend the 50th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, scheduled for February 24 to 27 in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
The meeting will also mark a leadership transition within the bloc, with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness set to hand over the Caricom chairmanship to St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, who will assume the role from January through June 2026.
Browne said the summit could provide an opportunity for bilateral discussions with Persad-Bissessar on unresolved financial obligations arising from the collapse of Colonial Life Insurance Company and British American Insurance Company, a crisis that continues to affect policyholders across the Eastern Caribbean more than a decade later.
The failure of the insurance companies in late 2008 triggered one of the region’s most severe financial shocks. While Trinidad and Tobago was home to CLICO, the fallout was felt most acutely across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, where exposure to the failed insurers reached levels equivalent to as much as 15 percent of some countries’ gross domestic product in 2009.
Governments across the Eastern Caribbean were forced to intervene to protect policyholders, placing significant strain on national budgets and sharply increasing public debt across the subregion.
Browne acknowledged that Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership administration had previously paid approximately US$40 million of an estimated US$60 million owed to affected Eastern Caribbean governments. While welcoming the partial settlement, he noted that many policyholders continue to face financial hardship years after the collapse and expressed hope that renewed dialogue could lead to a fair and sustainable resolution.
CNC3 reported that efforts to obtain comment from Persad-Bissessar, Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers, and Caricom Ambassador Ralph Maharaj were unsuccessful up to the time of publication.
Unitedpac St Lucia News will continue to follow developments surrounding Caricom relations and ongoing efforts to resolve the long-standing insurance settlement dispute.
