Persad-Bissessar distances Trinidad & Tobago from Caricom’s stance on US visa restrictions

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has made it clear that Trinidad and Tobago will chart its own foreign policy course, declaring that the regional integration body Caribbean Community (Caricom) will not determine the future of the twin-island republic and is not a reliable partner at this time.
In a statement on Saturday, Persad-Bissessar criticised Caricom for what she described as misplaced priorities, accusing the bloc of disparaging Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest ally, the United States, while offering support to Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, whom she characterised as leading a narco-government.
She was responding to a December 16, fact sheet issued by the US government outlining President Donald Trump’s decision to further restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals in the interest of US national security. The document detailed a partial suspension of entry for immigrants and non-immigrants under several visa categories, including B-1, B-2, F, M and J, and referenced the long-standing operation of Citizenship by Investment programmes without residency requirements in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Not a party to Caricom position
Persad-Bissessar noted that the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom subsequently issued a statement expressing concern over the US restrictions. However, she stressed that Port of Spain was not a party to that position.
“I acknowledge the right of the Bureau of the Conference to express its views. However, the Trinidad and Tobago government maintains its own position on the matter and recognises the sovereign right of the United States to make decisions in furtherance of its best interests,” she said.
According to the Prime Minister, every sovereign state must accept responsibility for its foreign and domestic policy choices and be prepared to face the consequences. She described Washington’s move as a measured response to the conduct of other nations within the current global environment.
The Caricom Bureau, comprising the Prime Ministers of Jamaica, Barbados and Grenada, said it recognised the right of countries to regulate entry to their borders but expressed concern that the decision was taken without prior consultation. The Bureau warned of potential adverse effects on legitimate travel, people-to-people exchanges, and the social and economic well-being of small states, and called for clarity on the status of existing visas after January 1, 2026.
The Caricom statement urged early engagement between the United States and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, emphasising Caricom’s commitment to dialogue, cooperation and the rule of law.
However, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne publicly criticised the Bureau’s intervention, saying it was unnecessary given that the issue had already been addressed. Browne also lamented what he described as inertia and lukewarm support within Caricom, and challenged an unnamed regional leader to substantiate claims that Antigua and Barbuda had antagonised the US administration.
While reaffirming her country’s independent stance, Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago does not bind itself to the political ideologies or foreign, economic or security policies of other Caricom member states.
“Member governments are free to make decisions in the best interests of their citizens,” she said, adding that the regional body is facing deep internal problems. She warned that unresolved divisions, weak management, poor accountability and political infighting threaten Caricom’s stability and effectiveness.
“The Caribbean Community must face the rot within the organisation with transparency and honesty,” Persad-Bissessar said, cautioning that continued support for the Maduro administration could carry repercussions.
“Our citizens can rest assured that I will always make decisions that put Trinidad and Tobago first,” she added.