Guyana President defends CARICOM, backs SG Carla Barnett

Guyana President Irfaan Ali on Friday defended the Caribbean Community and reiterated his support for the reappointment of Carla Barnett for another five-year term, as tensions continue within the regional bloc over the leadership decision.

Ali, who traveled to Trinidad and Tobago to deliver the feature address at a business meeting hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, told reporters that CARICOM remains a vital regional institution despite current disagreements.

Founded on August 1, 1973, CARICOM continues to play an important role, Ali said, noting that “like any other movement, like any other family, there will be challenges, there will be opportunities.”

He pointed to the major challenges the region faced in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, and rising food costs.

“Over the last five years, we, CARICOM, have operated under different challenges. We had COVID. We had the global supply chain crisis. We had a food crisis with rising costs. It was not easy,” Ali said.

The regional leaders were meeting virtually Friday to discuss several issues, including the controversy surrounding Barnett’s reappointment. Her current term is scheduled to end in August.

Trinidad and Tobago has called for a CARICOM meeting on the issue, insisting it had been “deliberately uninvited” from the discussions where agreement was reached during a summit in Basseterre in February.

Sean Sobers said earlier this week that Port of Spain would seek a meeting to challenge the reappointment and that fresh elections could also be considered.

Meanwhile, Kamla Persad-Bissessar criticized what she described as a “surreptitious and odious process” surrounding Barnett’s reappointment, warning it could have long-term implications.

However, CARICOM Chairman and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew said last month that Barnett secured the required majority support from regional leaders during the summit.

Ali reaffirmed his backing for the decision, saying, “We made a decision to support the re-election of Secretary-General, and that is something that we stand by.”

He noted that while he would not detail the discussions held in Basseterre, he attended the caucus where the decision was taken and supported the outcome.

Ali also addressed broader regional issues, including Guyana’s longstanding border dispute with Venezuela, which is currently before the International Court of Justice.

He referenced the recent visit to Grenada by Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, emphasizing his openness to dialogue with regional and global leaders.

Ali also thanked Persad-Bissessar for her support of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, describing Trinidad and Tobago as a “brotherly, sisterly country” and an important regional partner.

During his address to the private sector, Ali urged Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago to intensify economic cooperation, particularly as both countries benefit from expanding oil and gas industries.

“If we care about partnership… then we must care about fixing the problem and let’s get in that room, lock ourselves up for 72 hours and fix the problem,” Ali said.

He highlighted opportunities for collaboration beyond energy, including agriculture, noting Guyana’s soybean production and Trinidad and Tobago’s cocoa industry as potential areas for joint development.

Ali also praised ANSA McAL for its investments in Georgetown, while expressing disappointment that more Trinidad and Tobago consortiums had not pursued investment opportunities in Guyana’s gold sector.

The Guyanese president further emphasized the need for economic diversification, expanded banking support for agriculture, and continued infrastructure investments, including roads, bridges, and airports, aimed at positioning Guyana as a regional economic hub.