the statement by the government of Trinidad and Tobago supporting the decision of the United States to deploy “military assets” into the Caribbean region to destroy what it described as “the terrorist drug cartels”. Former foreign affairs minister, Dr Amery Browne, told a news conference that the statement made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar that Port of Spain has “not engaged and has no intention of engaging” the 15-member regional integration grouping CARICOM “on this matter” is “unfortunate”. The government said that on this matter, each CARICOM member state “can speak for themselves” and that “Trinidad and Tobago has been helplessly drowning in blood and violence for the last 20 years”.

But Browne said he is aware that efforts are being made to convene a meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) so as to present a united CARICOM position on the matter. “Look how the Prime Minister dismissed CARICOM in her statement…and this is extremely unfortunate,” said Browne, noting that in the quasi CARICOM cabinet, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar has responsibility for security in the region. “That is a repudiation of her duties and responsibilities to our regional community,” he said, adding that the prime minister had also “boldly, recklessly and completely out of place” indicated that each member state can speak for itself. (Jamaica Gleaner)