The 50th regular meeting for the conference of Heads of Government Of CARICOM is being held in St. Kitts and Nevis.
It kicked off this afternoon with an elaborate opening ceremony.
In her remarks, President of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissesar threw what might have been an expected curve ball when she called out her fellow CARICOM leaders for opposing her decisions, but also trying to get her voted out:
Kamla Persad Bissesar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
"CARICOM is an organisation should not be misused by anyone to benefit or protect political parties and friends affiliated with the incumbent government. CARICOM governments and their political parties who actively involve themselves in the domestic and political affairs of member states, the sister of brother parties, cannot then expect that when we come together, that we must hug up each other."
"When in the last election won, you sent your missives, you sent your people from your party to openly campaign against another political party. I'm sorry I have to share this, but it hurt me a lot when I saw what transpired within the last set of elections in the..."
"So CARICOM governments, if we had to hug up each other and cooperate, it cannot be that last week you sent your person down to St. Vincent or to Jamaica or to whoever, to Guyana, you sent your political persons, not technocrats, you sent them down to campaign."
"I don't think that is right because today I will have to face you. We are not red and we are not yellow, we are not blue, we are not green. We are all CARICOM persons and we must give that respect to every single one."
The US government has announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Saint Kitts and Nevis tomorrow to participate in the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.
A release says, quote, "Secretary Rubio will engage with Caribbean leaders to advance shared priorities, including strengthening regional security, deepening cooperation to combat illegal immigration and illicit trafficking, and promoting economic growth, health, and energy security across the Caribbean."
