Kamla Persad‑Bissessar Rejects Dr. Barnett’s Reappointment

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is shaking up regional politics, openly breaking from fellow CARICOM leaders and questioning the direction of the entire bloc. While CARICOM heads agreed earlier this year to give Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett a second term starting August 2026, Persad‑Bissessar isn’t having it. Asked whether she supported Barnett’s reappointment, she cut straight to the point: “No.” And she didn’t stop there. Persad‑Bissessar went further, accusing CARICOM of “failing for fifty‑two years” and warning that nothing will change in the next fifty‑two. With that, she announced a major pullback: Trinidad and Tobago will reduce its financial support to the regional body. That’s a big deal, T&T currently covers about twenty-two percent of CARICOM’s budget, contributing four to five million US dollars a year, plus extra funding through development and energy programs. Her message is unmistakable: Trinidad and Tobago won’t keep footing the bill if its concerns about leadership and performance go unanswered. As CARICOM prepares for Dr. Barnett’s next term, Persad‑Bissessar’s stance injects new tension into the region and raises serious questions about what Caribbean cooperation will look like moving forward.

 

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