BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — ANTIGUA and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has pushed back against criticism from Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar following recent US travel restrictions affecting parts of the Caribbean.
Persad-Bissessar, while noting that more than 350,000 Trinidad and Tobago nationals hold US visas, warned against criticising Washington, which she described as her country’s largest trading partner. In comments delivered at a public function in Trinidad and Tobago, she appeared to link US travel restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica to what she suggested was criticism of the Donald Trump administration.
“...careful you don’t end up like Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, who bad-mouthing the US and guess what happened, all their visas restricted now… understand where our help comes from, understand who can protect and help Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
In response, Browne sought to “set the record straight” in a social media post over the week, describing Persad-Bissessar’s comments on CARICOM and Antigua and Barbuda as requiring “a measured response grounded in facts, respect, and the long history of Caribbean cooperation”.
According to Browne, Antigua and Barbuda has never questioned the right of any CARICOM member state to manage its bilateral relationships as it sees fit. “Antigua and Barbuda has never questioned the sovereign right of any CARICOM member to conduct its bilateral relations as it sees fit,” he said. “Equally, no member should question the legitimacy of another CARICOM state engaging responsibly, transparently, and respectfully with international partners, including the United States, on matters that directly affect its citizens.”
Browne also rejected assertions that CARICOM is an “unreliable partner” to Trinidad and Tobago, arguing that such claims are not supported by the economic record.
“In 2024 alone, Trinidad and Tobago earned more than US$1.1 billion in foreign exchange from trade with CARICOM, comprising approximately US$784.7 million in domestic exports and US$501.3 million in re-exports to CARICOM states,” Browne stated. “CARICOM was Trinidad and Tobago’s second-largest export market, exceeded only by the United States.”
He further noted that trade within the bloc has been heavily tilted in Trinidad and Tobago’s favour, pointing out that the country records the largest merchandise trade surplus in CARICOM and “remains the only member state to have maintained a net positive trade balance with the Community consistently since the inception of CARICOM in 1973”.
Since assuming office, Persad-Bissessar has frequently taken positions at odds with some CARICOM states, including openly supporting the United States’ hardline stance toward the Nicolás Maduro administration in Venezuela. She has also publicly backed US naval action against fishing vessels in the Caribbean Sea.
“I, along with most of the country, am happy that the U.S. naval deployment is having success in their mission,” Persad-Bissessar was quoted as saying by the Associated Press in September.
Browne emphasized that criticism of Antigua and Barbuda and what he described as a lack of support for the CARICOM bloc ignored the sacrifices made by regional partners. He reminded that the trade imbalance has been facilitated in part by the Common External Tariff (CET), under which CARICOM states — including Antigua and Barbuda — impose protective tariffs on extra-regional imports to support Trinidad and Tobago’s manufacturing sector.
He noted that in 2023, CARICOM territories collectively “forwent approximately US$142.7 million in customs revenue as a result of sourcing goods from Trinidad and Tobago under CET protection — an economic sacrifice borne by Caribbean consumers in the spirit of regional solidarity”.
The Antigua and Barbuda prime minister also highlighted regional cooperation on security, noting that Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from CARICOM-led efforts to address high levels of organised crime, through "CARICOM security mechanisms, intelligence sharing, and coordinated law-enforcement initiatives has been an essential pillar of the response,” Browne said, adding that Antigua and Barbuda has consistently supported those collective security efforts.
Browne firmly rejected claims that Antigua and Barbuda’s leaders have “bad-mouthed” the United States.
"Antigua and Barbuda categorically rejects the unsubstantiated assertion that its leaders have ‘bad-mouthed’ the United States. No evidence has been offered because none exists,” he said. “On the contrary, Antigua and Barbuda maintains a record of close collaboration with the United States, including constructive engagement on security matters, immigration, and consistent cooperation in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States.”
He concluded by stressing that maintaining respectful relations with global partners and advocating for regional unity are not mutually exclusive.
