CARICOM’S FATE

CARICOM, the regional political and economic union, is quite a success. It has come a long way since the four original countries Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica singed the treaty at Chaguaramus in Trinidad to create CARICOM. It had come after the bitter experience under the colonial rule of the British that led to the collapse of the West Indies Federation. The leaders decided to try again to get the small countries newly independent into some kind of union that would make it easier to move about and easier to trade, despite their new found independence. For seven years though, the heads did not meet. Some kind of bitter row ensued, it appears after Guyana refused to honour its debts to oil rich Trinidad. In 1983 when the United States invaded Grenada, it was Eugenia Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica and then head of CARICOM who invited the US to come in.  The Bahamas. Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana did not agree. However the organization has continued from strength to strength and in 2001 in Nassau, the new treaty was signed by all but The Bahamas to create the single market and economy. Now comes the external pressure of the blocs largest trading partner and military might the United States that wants nothing to do with multilateralism and has picked off Trinidad and Tobago to start a war with Venezuela.  Venezuela helped all CARICOM countries during a tough period of oil prices, so it is hard for that to be forgotten. But Venezuela is also a potent threat to Guyana and CARICOM has to stand up for Guyana and it does. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holeness who is very pro- American agreed to issue a statement though supporting Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica in an unfair attack by the United States on them. Trinidad then attacked CARICOM. Antigua and Barbuda attacked Trinidad and Tobago fired back. The body next meets in St Kitts when a the new head takes over. Let us hope that heads will be calmer in balmy St Kitts.