By Dr. Nand C. Bardouille
The 14 sovereign Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states have struggled to collectively mount a coherent foreign policy response to the U.S. military’s now months-long surge into the Caribbean, unfolding under the aegis of “Operation Southern Spear.”
Dissension has surfaced within this bloc’s ranks, with the fractious nature of associated intrastate relations recently coming to light.
Conspicuously, Trinidad and Tobago has pursued a radical break with many of its sister CARICOM member states’ respective foreign policy stances on “Operation Southern Spear.” As I contend in an article published in the December 11 edition of the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, this operation is emblematic of America’s hegemonic stratagem for the Western Hemisphere.
The foreign policy-related differences arising do not just pit Trinidad and Tobago against virtually all its sister CARICOM member states, though.
Guyana has come out in support of U.S. power projection in the Caribbean, at a juncture when Washington is leaning in “to strengthen and expand Guyana’s strategic partnership with the United States.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also recently signalled Jamaica is among a group of countries in the Caribbean Basin that — inclusive of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago — “openly cooperate with [the United States].”
Indeed, a recent development in U.S.-Jamaica relations is on the radar of analysts. Namely, and with little by way of public messaging on the engagement, high-level Jamaican and U.S. delegations met in Kingston on December 11.
On December 27, in his capacity as outgoing CARICOM Chair, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness sounded an optimistic tone about the regional grouping’s accomplishments in recent times. That said, under his watch, the bloc’s balancing act regarding the regional and national interest took a hit from Trump 2.0.
Accordingly, Holness cautioned his regional counterparts that “[t]he current international environment requires our Region to act with clarity, cohesion, and strategic discipline.”
This viewpoint adds a fresh layer to the concern of CARICOM insiders that differences among member states over “Operation Southern Spear” will likely not be the last test of CARICOM unity vis-à-vis Trump 2.0.
This is the price of CARICOM member states’ competing foreign policy dispositions in respect of Trump 2.0.
In 2026, given a shifting balance of interests, the bloc has its work cut out for it in dealing with Washington in foreign policy terms.
Insofar as uncertainties about the U.S.-facing foreign policy road ahead loom large, the next CARICOM summit could potentially be a crucial factor in efforts to grapple with the harsh realities that have beset this bloc since this past September.
Member states and the regional grouping’s principal administrative organ — i.e. the Guyana-headquartered CARICOM Secretariat — will have to bring pertinent diplomatic channels at their disposal to bear on the situation.
Barring such a sustained effort, the summit may well fall short on the above stated outcome.
Even if all goes to plan beforehand, this summit may not necessarily help to turn the corner on deep-rooted foreign policy divisions.
Such a scenario would only increase the diplomatic cost that already looms large over CARICOM, weighing down the bloc and aspects of its international relations with third parties.
All eyes are on the summit in question, scheduled to be held early in the new year.
________
Nand C. Bardouille, Ph.D., is the manager of The Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean in the Institute of International Relations at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of The UWI.
This article was first published by Dominica News Online on December 30, 2025.
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It always amazes me how Caribbean academics present shallow views of the obvious.
Like professor Professor Robinson of UWI School of Law who presented in her Micheal Manley Lecture that those Caribbean islands who are opposed to the CCJ and continue to prefer the Privy Council are backward and are tied to their Colonial past.
Professor Nand C. Bardouille a diplomacy specialist writes about the obvious and the not so obvious reasons and consequences of the US actions in the Caribbean Sea.
Any serious observer would admit that CARICOM is a failure as well as to recognize why CARICOM members are going in different directions on the issue of USA vs Venezuela. This should not be a surprise.
First there is Trump an avaricious moran who only respects Putin and the Arab states for obvious reasons.
Then there is Marco Rubio who life goal is to see Cuba destroyed as a Communist state; and the old guards and capitalism be restored in Cuba.
Venezuela has been in partnership with Cuba keeping it afloat since it was abandoned by the USSR, from the days of Hugo Chavez. The very person who nationalized the American owned oil company assets in Venezuela. Good for him but it did not go as expected.
Keep in mind Trinidad has oil Guyana has gas and oil; Jamaica refines Trinidad oil. Trump has stated Chavez and Muduro has stolen American oil and he wants it back.
Blasting drug runners and fishermen out of the water is only a cover.
The three big parties in CARICOM are somehow in the petrochemical and petroleum business. It is not a coincidence that Guyana T&T and Jamaica are not objecting to Trumps actions in the Caribbean seas.
Each of them has a very large number of thei people in the US. Remittances props up their economy.
Most of these smaller islands that are making the useless statement the Caribbean Sea is a zone of peace are laughable given the position of the United Stares. This is not to justify was the US is doing.
The statements about the state of CARICOM again are laughable. It has been a failure. Should it exists YES. But to be of value CARICOM like other Caribbean institutions needs to undergo serious scrutiny and reform.
Les us cut the BS and face the realities of the situation rather than tinkering around the edges which only prolongs the disfunctionalities of CARICOM
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