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Dear Editor,
One must sometimes wonder if the office of Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago comes with a complimentary bottle of strong drink and a mandate to embarrass the nation.
How else to explain the recent, unfortunate utterances of Kamla Persad-Bissessar? Her performance has been a masterclass in reckless fiction, a desperate attempt to fabricate regional divisions where none exist.
First, she falsely claimed that the US’s briefly announced visa restrictions on Antiguans and Barbudans and Dominicans were a result of “bad mouthing” America. This is an absolute pure concoction.
The fact is that the issue was swiftly resolved by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and our Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders. Moreover, as is often the case, the issue stems from a routine administrative misunderstanding, which has now been corrected through proactive diplomatic consultation and enhanced cooperation.
Critically, PM Browne rightly demanded evidence for her baseless and outlandish claims and clarified our cordial relations with the US, but in a very surprising and brazen move, Persad-Bissessar did not learn from this and retreated.
Instead, she doubled down, then tripled down, spewing a series of increasingly unhinged statements: declaring CARICOM “unreliable,” predicting an “implosion,” and most disgustingly, accusing the bloc of aligning with a “Maduro narco government.” Let it be clear that Persad-Bissessar is not engaging in diplomacy; instead, she is engaging in diplomatic arson to the detriment of Trinidad and Tobago.
Perhaps we should be charitable and recall the wisdom of Proverbs 20:1 KJV: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
One is left to ponder what spirit of folly is being consumed to so willingly torch regional solidarity for a cheap domestic headline and political points.
The irony is staggering, coming from the leader of a nation that has benefited more from CARICOM than any other. Let us speak plainly of the Common External Tariff (CET).
This mechanism, established by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (an agreement shaped by and concluded in Trinidad), applies tariffs of up to 20% on goods from outside CARICOM.
Its intent is to promote regional industry. In practice, as PM Browne highlighted with regional support, it has been a massive subsidy for Trinidad and Tobago’s manufacturing sector.
In 2024 alone, CARICOM consumers and governments forwent an estimated US$142.7 million in revenue, paying a premium to buy Trinidadian beverages, processed foods, cement, and other goods along with services, often when cheaper alternatives exist from the US, Europe, or even within CARICOM in Jamaica and other member states. We have paid this cost, this “Trinibago Tax,” in the name of regional solidarity.
Moreover, should members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) who pay this tax more than anyone else be the first to move within CARICOM?
And what is our return on this investment? A deranged and delusional Prime Minister who seeks to drive a wedge between CARICOM and the United States, to turn our main trading partner against us with idiotic rhetoric and falsehoods.
Lest we forget that ‘all is not well in the state of Denmark’, i.e., Persad-Bissessar presides over a nation whose economic foundation of oil and gas is depleted, a crime rate is a regional shame, a nation with a proud black population now marginalised in every part of society, and now a once-proud international stature reduced to that of a desperate geopolitical prostitute.
More concerning to the people of Trinidad and Tobago should be Persad-Bissessar’s continuous peddling of false narratives, and her involvement in the support of unlawful warfare could make her country a target.
She is recklessly engaging in all of this while apparently dreaming that colluding to exploit Venezuelan resources would end well for Port-of-Spain. But does she truly believe “America First” has a footnote that says “except for Trinidad and Tobago”?
In plain language, her actions are not just irresponsible; they are suicidal for her own country’s interests.
If CARICOM member states, in a rational response to our cost-of-living crises, began to strategically relax the CET and source more goods from beyond Trinidad and Tobago, where would that leave its struggling economy? The answer is clear: begging for bailouts and selling off national assets.
Persad-Bissessar’s attempt to create hostilities with the very neighbours who prop up her economy is the height of strategic diplomatic and trade dunceness.
There is a profound sadness in seeing the office of the great late former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and father of their nation, Dr Eric Williams, reduced to this, i.e., a platform for drunken (intellectually, diplomatically, politically, and perhaps otherwise tirades that threaten the fabric of CARICOM and her very own country. Trinbagonians must consider the long-term outcome of the path the leader they just elected has set them on.
It brings to mind the Mighty Sparrow’s “Jean and Dinah,” a tale of certain Trinidadian prostitutes who found their relevance and sustenance entirely dependent on the presence of American soldiers during World War II.
When the military personnel departed, the women of the night and day were left bereft, their former pretensions exposed.
Should Persad-Bissessar continue on this course of alienating her neighbours and tying her nation’s fate to the most fickle of external masters, she may well be writing a modern, tragic verse for her country as the captain of a sinking ship.
In that song of a reality that may come sooner than later, the roles of Rosita and Clementina will be played by a once-respected nation, left wondering where all its friends have gone, while the true beneficiaries of the drama move on.
CARICOM deserves better.
The people of Trinidad and Tobago deserve better. It is time for the sober adults in the room, across the region, to ignore the mocking rage of strong drink and address the serious business of building a prosperous, united, and wisely engaged Caribbean.
Judge Hillington
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Allyah can gwarn with that drunken woman. She letting power (or the illusion thereof) get to sha head bai!
Oh editorial writer, go cry a river somewhere else. Trinidad’s PM has all the right to her opinions. She made a very valid point of us being in bed with Maduro who is a tyrant and not a lover of democracy. It is also TnT that has to worry about the drug trade which has fueled violent gang warfare in Trinidad. It’s only who knows it feels it. Auntie Kami…no worry bout dem…dey only wish they had the backbone to go against these strong men.
The writer of the article said that the visa issue has been resolved. It has not. The only thing that was made clear is something that the rest of us knew from reading the entire document (the policy does not affect previous visa holders) The individuals still cannot get a visa beginning January 1st until the ENTIRE debacle has been resolved.
This writer must be the dunces thing on earth to think it is strategically better to condemn Trinidad and Tobago who is standing up for democracy, human rights and the future of our youths from drugs. You are that ignorant to not understand the importance of standing up with Trinidad and Tobago with the US against Cube, Venezuela, North Korea and hell?
You do not comprehend which one of these you should stand beside? You do not comprehend democracy, and humanity are valued more than discounted oil and drug trafficking?
After Antiguans and Barbudans see these ignorant post from ABLP and they do not turn away from this ABLP then the place in hell you all will end up, you worked hard for it. You made yourself deserving of it.
When you ask the US to remove sanctions from places like Cuba, Venezuela and Antigua and Barbuda under ABLP make sure at the same moment you asked these same countries to give their people human rights, constituonal rights to vote, end their assisting of Narco-terrorist, free their political rivals, end their murderous regime and respect other nations.
Oh my gosh ABLP is ignorant. You think it will ever be smart to go after Trinidad and Tobago for Venezuela and Cuba?
Folks you have your clear and convincing evidence of ABLP. The folks who cares about nothing but money.
This Trinidadian and Tobagonian Prime Minister will be a national hero in the Caricom, take it from this strategist. ABLP will end up in hell.
“An organisation that chooses to disparage our greatest ally, the United States, but lends support to the Maduro narco-government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands of civilians and opposition members, as well as threatened two Caricom members, is one that has clearly lost its way,” Persad-Bissessar said in her statement.
I love this woman. Any person who say this is my hero. There are greedy idiots who think money and free oil is sufficient to forgive, forget and allow the tyranny of governments like Cuba, Venezuela, etcetera. All horrible leaders think is oh, they give us more than you, so allow them to be as evil to their own people and others as they like. This is the ignorance ABLP and their supporters preach.
We must start a DO NOT BUY TRINIDAD PRODUCED PRODUCTS NOW.
Just like Canada did to the US. We must stand up now.
Come on my fellow Antiguans and Barbudans. STAND UP NOW.
Say no to Trinidad products.