CARICOM’s controversy over S-G’s appointment now centres on invitation to “Heads”

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 21:29 by Writer

Even as Antigua and Barbuda believed that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett should resign due to controversy over her reappointment, the issue now centres over whether she told foreign ministers that they could not represent their prime ministers at a retreat of regional leaders.

The issue took on a new twist on Wednesday when Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar said a statement in the name of CARICOM Chairman, St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew failed to highlight that Dr Barnett allegedly blocked foreign ministers from attending the retreat on February 26.

The Trinidad and Tobago leader posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp message by Dr Barnett, stating “Chairman PM Drew has indicated that today will be a Heads only retreat. Notwithstanding any indication otherwise, he would like it to remain Heads only. He apologises for any inconvenience.”

Dr Barnett told the ministers that they should remain for the Community Council meeting to complete its work, including those agenda items which the Community Council was to consider and provide recommendations to the Heads for adoption.

In an April 9 letter to Mr Drew, Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign minister Sean Sobers said he interpreted that WhatsApp message to mean that he, as head of his country’s delegation was not invited as only ‘Heads of Government’ were allowed to attend.

Mr Sobers also said that his country’s Director of CARICOM contacted CARICOM’s Chef de Cabinet, Janice Miller who confirmed the accuracy of Dr Barnett’s WhatsApp message.

Mr Sobers also says in that April 9 letter that Chairman of the Community Council, St Kitts and Nevis’ foreign minister Dr Denzil Douglas had informed the council that the retreat was for “Heads of Government only.”

But a well-placed CARICOM official, speaking on strict condition of anonymity to Demerara Waves Online News, denied that Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign and CARICOM affairs minister, Sean Sobers was disinvited.

The official said that in the absence of a CARICOM leader, the foreign minister is the “Head of delegation”, not Head of Government. The CARICOM official expressed surprise that Mr Sobers, a lawyer and foreign minister, was unaware of the diplomatic workings of the regional body and instead chose to mislead the public.

The CARICOM Chairman on April 12 issued a statement revealing evidence in the form of a WhatsApp message from the CARICOM Secretary-General to him at 10:55 p.m. on 25 February that states that Mr Sobers was explicitly granted approval to participate in the retreat in his capacity as “Head” of delegation.

“Chairman. TT Foreign Minister Sobers called me to ask if he should come to retreat in the absence of his PM. I indicated that other Heads who have left may be represented by their FMs.” “He also indicated he gets seasick, so he’s not looking forward to the boat ride. So we may not have TT represented tomorrow.”

But the CARICOM source said the two WhatsApp messages should be read together. Also, the Secretary-General’s WhatsApp message meant that the other foreign ministers, whose leaders were still there, could not have attended the retreat.

Based on a CARICOM Secretariat picture release, 10 Heads of Government of independent CARICOM member states were present at the retreat, but it was not immediately clear whether any of them left before that meeting ended.

In the picture, there were representatives of several British dependent territories that are Associate CARICOM members but they do not enjoy voting rights.

Those full members not represented in the picture were Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Haiti, Montserrat, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The heated weeks-long debate was triggered by the CARICOM Chairman’s statement on March 26 announcing that “the required majority” of CARICOM Heads of Government agreed to the reappointment of Dr. Barnett as S-G for a second term of office beginning in August this year.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said she was still awaiting documentation that she had asked the CARICOM Chairman in a letter to provide. They include agenda, list of all invitees, and all minutes of the retreat held on February 26, 2026, all performance appraisals of the current Secretary-General, all written communication to CARICOM leaders inviting proposals for nominees for the post of Secretary-General and documentation onw whether all member states and their duly authorized representatives were invited to participate in the retreat, and whether the Chairman of CARICOM had told the CARICOM secretariat to inform foreign ministers that he wanted the retreat “to remain Heads only”, and why that matter was not included in the Summary of Confirmed decisions circulated to member states on March 2, 2026.

Trinidad and Tobago is also asking the CARICOM Chairman to provide proof that documents about the reappointment of the CARICOM S-G was sent by him or the CARICOM secretariat.

“I continue to await the documentation that I have requested in my letter to the Chairman. Surely there must be timestamped minutes, performance appraisals etc. Even village councils and sports clubs document their meetings far less than an organization over half a century old,” the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister said.

Mr Sobers and the Prime Minister have ruled out participating in future CARICOM meetings unless the information is provided.

But a senior CARICOM source said the place for the issue to be discussed is at a CARICOM Summit, not by correspondence.

Trinidad and Tobago stuck to its position and last week boycotted a virtual CARICOM summit.

The CARICOM Chairman has already said regional leaders decided to reappoint the incumbent Secretary-General under the retreat’s agenda item” “financing and governance of the community”, in keeping with Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Dr Drew also said that before the official announcement was made, attempts were made to reach the Heads who were absent to inform of the decision, but it was not possible to make contact with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago by email or telephone call.

He said after some efforts to reach the Prime Minister, the Chairman was asked to speak with the foreign minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

The CARICOM Chairman did not elaborate on those discussions he had with Minister Sobers.

Lashing out at the CARICOM Secretariat and CARICOM foreign ministers for failing to show the decency, honesty or courage to acknowledge that Minister Sobers is being truthful, Ms Persad-Bissessar vowed to bring an end to the hiring of friends, party hacks, relatives of politicians and affiliates of regional sister parties at the CARICOM secretariat to maintain the “old boys club order.”

“Therefore this matter will continue to be ruthlessly and relentlessly, publicly escalated and prosecuted until persons are held accountable for their odious actions and proper reforms are made to the organization to ensure fairness, accountability, effective management and non-interference in the domestic politics of CARICOM members,” she said on Wednesday.

Earlier on Monday, the Caribbean Media Corporation reported that Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS), Sir Ronald Sanders is urging the CARICOM Secretary-General to consider tendering her resignation amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding her reappointment to the post.

“If I were the Secretary-General of CARICOM, and I’m being quite serious here, and this had occurred, I would have resigned, and I would have resigned because I would have said I must not stand in the way of Caribbean integration and the movement forward,” Sir Ronald Sanders said on the state-owned ABS Television.

Sir Ronald told television viewers it is clear to him that one “senior government and Prime Minister is not in favour” of Barnett’s appointment and as a result she should consider stepping down.

“Why am I still there? Because it is clear that I will never enjoy her support and why therefore would I put myself in a situation in which I am now the cause of the rift. If I were Carla Barnett, I would resign now on principle because she will never have Kamla Persad will not attend the meeting if Carla Barnett is at that meeting, neither will her foreign minister…,” he added.