Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has warned of the attempt to divide the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping as some regional leaders get ready to meet with United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Tuesday.
Addressing a gala to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the late Barbados prime minister and regional integrationist Errol W. Barrow on Saturday night, Mottley said that she is conscious that in the next week questions will be asked as to whether the Barbados foreign minister happened to be missing in a meeting in Kingston in Jamaica that will take place on Tuesday.
“We don’t look to pick fights. I don’t look to pick fights, but I am conscious that if this country does not stand for something, then it will fall for anything. As chairman of CARICOM, it is impossible for me to agree that my foreign minister should attend a meeting with anyone to which members of CARICOM are not invited. If some are invited and not all, then it is an attempt to divide this region,” Mottley said.
Earlier this week, Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said Pompeo’s two-day working visit, which begins on January 21, is a commitment to strengthen relations with the Caribbean.
“We welcome the visit of Secretary Pompeo as a demonstration of the commitment of the United States of America to once more strengthen its engagement with Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. We truly look forward to this opportunity to engage and reinforce our longstanding ties,” she added.
Pompeo will hold talks with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and senior members of his cabinet on the second day of the visit and is expected to give a policy speech on the Caribbean region’s critical importance to the United States, and the country’s renewed commitment to closer ties, based on shared values, interests and economic prosperity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said.
Both the Jamaica Gleaner and the Observer newspaper, quoting sources, said that Pompeo is also due to meet with several Caribbean leaders.
But a CARICOM source told the Caribbean Media Corporation that the regional grouping had not been formally invited to participate in the discussions during Pompeo’s visit.
Last year, Holness was among four Caribbean leaders – St. Lucia, the Bahamas and Haiti – who flew to Miami to meet with US President Donald Trump where they discussed the ongoing political situation in Venezuela where Washington is seeking to remove President Nicolas Maduro in favour of opposition leader Juan Guaido.
CARICOM leaders at their last summit in St Lucia last July reiterated their position of non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela.
Mottley told the gala that she was conscious that when Errol Barrow stood and remarked that “we shall be friends of all and satellites of none,” little did he know that that statement would be embraced by every single prime minister of Barbados that succeeded him.
“It is as valid today, perhaps even more so than it was at the time of its initial delivery. And I say so conscious that principles only mean something when it is inconvenient to stand by them.
“Conscious that this region must always cheek itself to ensure that we do not become the pawns of others, the satellites of others, but that we keep every most and uppermost in our minds what we must do for our people without simply becoming pawns on a chessboard for others to be able to benefit from,” she added.
The CARICOM chairman said that the sense of commitment to principle is what inspires the region to this position.
“And therefore, it didn’t take a lot of thought as to what our decision should be because this country does not pretend to be what it is not and does not pretend to have that which it doesn’t. But it does aspire to be sincere and to be correct and to be moral and to be principled.”
She told the audience that the expression delivered to the US president at that time “who offered to pay our dues to join the Organization of American States when Barrow politely refused and said “in our part of the world where I come from, if you cannot afford the dues, you do not join the club.
“That is the Barbados first to which I speak,” she told the gala.
in the interest of the socio-cultural and economic advancement of the CARICOM and the individual nations which make up CARICOM why don’t you Mia Mottley expose the corruption, callout your follow CARICOM leaders who are corrupt, cause it’s a documented fact that corruption prevents socio-economic and cultural growth. skerrit owns property in Barbados which his income can not justify; why don’t you tell us how CARICOM plans on dealing with corrupt leaders who are bent on using the resources which should be for the citizens for personal benefit. the kleptocracy which exist within a number of member states. instead you are trying to promote a group within a group without the group. pure hypocrisy!
I wish that was her her stance, when Ross University, a US off shore school of medicine selected to speak to her to leave Dominica and move to Barbados.
For those who are lambasting the Barbados for refusing to send a delegate to the Caricom-US function, please note the shortlist of regional leaders who will be meeting with Mike Pompeo.
Mr. Pompeo’s boss famously denigrated African and Caribbean nations as shit hole countries. Curiously enough, Pompeo’s predecessor and nemesis Rex Tillerson is currently busy spearheading Exxon’s oil exploration initiative in Guyana, a Caricom member nation who will not be attending the upcoming meeting with Pompeo.
At the end of the day, every nation has the sovereign right to chose their mutual global partners and benefactors. That being said, I have no issue with Ms. Mottley’s decision.
Plain and simple, white Supremacy hard at work.
Ti Garcon, I do not think you understand the rationale behind what Ms. Mottley stated; it seems that critical thinking and understanding are limited to some people.
This is pure ignorance on Mia Mottelys part. When Caribbean leaders meet with foreign secretaries of European Union, Uk or Canada , do they require CARICOM permission? When one Caribbean island has relations with China and one with Taiwan does she complain? Why is uniquely the U.S. she has problem with. I find she well fresh, who do these bajan think they are?!?
You think like a real Ti garcon. The point she is make and the one you are explaining are completely different. From recent times, the US has been in the habit of meeting a selected group from the caricom member countries and refusing to speak to others who the consider as not ‘Americans friendly’. It’s a clear strategy to disrupt caricom, not that the organization is good for anything, but the US has sinister plans and this is her point.
Obviously sovereign nations do not need the permission of any grouping to have talks with other nations. You’re right but get her point. Mark you I am not anti American as a matter I live there. The truth is just what it is.
As independent nations, each Caribbean island has the right to make foreign relations with whomsoever they chose. My point of She not complaining of “When one Caribbean island has relations with China and one with Taiwan” hasn’t been addressed in your response. Isn’t that more divisive? Or when one has relations with Russia or Japan do we meet their delegations as a CARICOM group or as individual countries on separate missions. If not, then your fears or concerns about the USA are misguided. The notion that we should meet as a group is blatant BS.
Ou toe ….. Conversation end. You can’t understand such intricacies.
You talk of intricacies but cant list one. Talking about trying to divide CARICOM, doesn’t each and every CARICOM member have an individual ambassador to the US?
You talk about dividing CARICOM- is the CARICOM united? when was it united? The mere fact we pay departure taxes to enter and leave each island is anti free trade/ travel and unity. To enter travel to another island they asking for address and y you arriving for- is that required in the US from state to state, or in the EU for country to country? Tell what are they dividing.
When Mia undercover went to took Ross, instead of urging/ aiding Dominica to meet the US company’s demands, was it in the name of unity? Conversation will end because there are no facts to back your case, only the illusion that you alone can understand these unknown intricacies. Because is in only one set of islands US companies intend to invest in, or US tourist are choosing to visit.
You don’t understand bc is not likkle boy ting Ti garson. I promise you will get it when u grow up and can understand the writing on the wall.
Well said Mottley. A very principled stance. I wish all of our regional leaders could show their own backbones and stand up to Pompeo, Trump and their despot administration trying to govern the world like a mafia gang. These despots has no regard for diplomacy anymore and has shredded the rule book of international law and insists that they be given the privilege of exceptionalism, yet there are those within our region who are prepared to go arm in arm with them for a quid pro quo. Hopefully, if the democrats can convince some of the republicans in the senate to vote with their conscience in Trumps impeachment trial, Pompeo won’t get the opportunity to put their project for our region in action. Especially their plan to replace the current Venezuelan government with their own puppets.
Hmmmmm. All dem Labourites were so pleased with the congratulatory statement made by the US Embassy. Now the same people who demonstrated such gratefulness towards the individual who represent the Trump Administration, are today unleashing their venomous forked double talking tongue, with this one even referring to Trump and Pompeo as despots. Do you know what is them meaning of despots: Well it refers to Skeritt and his style of leadership over the years.
Not so @Eagle-Eyed, maybe you do not understand the definition of quid pro quo, which Trump is being accused of… I suppose you listening to US news en. Em quid pro quo means something for something etc… to whom did the Americans give something to? You apologists should just stop throwing language around that is designed to make you’all look good, but are not relevant to what you really wish to convey.
Oh Mama Mia, aren’t you the same one who devided our country,encouraging your pet to have a ” tribal ” war in this country.
This whole Caricom thing is a circus and Mia,you are performing remarkably well.
Meet with Canada instead. All young professionals lookign to head to Canada.
“we shall be friends of all and satellites of none,” so Skerrit took up like it was his saying. I would like to ask Mia the following: Does CARICOM stand for freedom of press, freedom to assembly, freedom to criticize the government, equal rights, honest and trustworthy democracy, term limits on governance? Why is it i am asked where i am going to stay when i come to bdos as a CARICOM national? I thought we had free movement and ability to work. It has been 40 plus years after all. Do we embrace Communist ideals or democracy? Do we support power by state and police or do we support power of the people. I am no fan of Trump and his cabinet. I think they are a bunch of misfits but the most they will be around is 8 years then things change. The US has the largest free market economy and the largest Caribbean diaspora who play a significant economic roll to our region. How many Caribbean nationals can go China and Russia set up business and raise family? Caribbean leaders…..
Carribbean leaders are the ones who have caused divisions by their inability to transform the Caribbean to full integration. Why? Everyone is looking out for their own selfishness. Why should a country depend on only passport sale for revenue? We dont elect leaders to blame others. We elect them to find darn solutions and solve basic problems. I would not waste time quote Barrow since they to failed the regions people when they failed to have federation and todays leaders are to coward to even try again. Blaming America for our division is only cowardice. The US has afforded millions of CARICOM nationals a dream unattainable in our region and still serves as largest market for our goods and tourism product. The US is not our enemy we just need to be smart when dealing. The US will always defend its citizens because the geopolitical fight for supremacy is real. CARICOM does not dictate what happens in the politics of individual countries and is a weak agreement. Mia is misguided.
I can’t answer for Mia and I do not know your motive but you clearly do not get it. If I were you I would not stick my head out for the U.S in this sinister divide-and-rule game against the Caribbean. It stinks!
I aint sticking my head out for no one. This is nothing but blaming others for your faults. A weak house is easily divided. The bottom line is CARICOM has not shown what it stands for except to say they dont kiss US backside. That is all well and good, but is afraid to speak in one voice when there is injustice and corruption in individual island. The excuse is they do not want to interfere in sovereignty. This is so hypocritical. So if Mia dont want meet with US thats fine. Did US invite CARICOM or islands they see as close allies that just happened to be CARICOM members? Mia can run her mouth as she wants she is a politician. The action with Ross says otherwise and there is over 45 years of history to show CARICOM weak and divided. Mia has ambitions to place bdos and herself as leader in region. Nothing wrong with that. That is what she should do as a politician so bajans can benifit socially. However that old excuse above ia a diversion to our real problems.
Kaka Zulu, I am surprised at you or maybe not. You mention Ross university. Ross was going to leave Dominica no matter what; if it was not to Barbados it would be to another country. Are you suggesting that if Barbados had told Ross to stay in Dominica that it would? Come on man, I expected better.
@ realist aka expat. Here is where you guys dont think. Ok Ross decided to leave and Barbados was in line to host. Our PM lied to country, ian douglas lied to his constituents, up to now the people have not been told the truth instead we hear bogus excuses and stories. Mia and Skerrit the two CARICOM unity brothers could have sit and come to trade agreement and ensure that produce and foods including fresh fruits are sourced from Dominica farmers in nothern sections of Dominica. All ross bottle water supply will be sourced from Dominica. That way they would show me that ross dis what it had to do bdos benifited but in true Caribbean unity there is a great opportunity for a sector of Dominica economy to benifit long term. But they are so busy to decieve they cannot think and be honest with the people. I will say again this is nothing but political posturing and hypocrisy.
Furthermore if you going to respond to my post come better than that. Saying nothing would be a stronger argument for just telling me i do not get it without giving any reasonable point of view. All the industrial countries including US have ulterior motives. The effect of ones action on you is how you respond and what you made up of. Think about that for some second. My motive is to see a region that takes pride in the strength, determination, intelligence, resourcefulness, independence, and well being of its millions of citizens with sustainable policies and non corrupted governments. Hope that helps.
Ok, keep your shirt in Shaka I get your point.
“I can’t answer for Mia and I do not know your motive but you clearly do not get it.”
Shaka Zulu, these people are just fanboying Mia for no reason, and they cant understand she give 2 ….. about Dominica. Has she opened a pathway for Dominica or the OECS to access the Barbados agriculture market? No? But guess what, Skerrit has it so poultry farmers can only order chicks from Bdos and not Guadeloupe/ Martinique who are OECS members.
They acting as if they know of some hidden intricacies, yet they can’t see that the regional division between China and Taiwan plays a greater role in regional economies. The US doesn’t dictate who their citizen can do business with or visit in the region. Also EVERY island is a sovereign independent state, which is what i can’t get my head around.
Also of all CARICOM countries, Bdos benefits more from the US govt and investment per capita than any other island- is this the vielle Bajan attitude? She vex they not holding the meeting in…
Well done keep them out something is fishy here why is it they only want to meet with only a select Caricom countries and not all. In any case the America has a bad reputation on foreign affairs they always make bad decisions and move on leaving that country in a mess. Yes you right Trump might be planning to divide us against each other do not trust him.
oh boy!!..what is going on in this Caribbean buddy? One day they take the meat off their brother’s plate, next day they say we’re one and must stand for “principles”.
Principles should have let Mia turn Ross away. Sakway Hypocrite!!..
Which of the Caribbean islands that take the CARICOM so seriously that they would undermine their livelihood to remain a part of it? Let me see the hands
Wow… got goose bumps reading this. Our leaders should endeavour to remain united in all affairs of the region for united we stand, divided we fall.
That is what you call a leader with Testicles… (no pun intended).
The US wants to divide and rule… the oldest rule in the book and throughout history the most successful…
What you do… You take the weakest leaders of the Carribean… with the most vulnerable economies…that are located in strategic locations (North/ Central/ South)… Dangle, promises, money, concessions… and presto you have created division and confusion. You also have countries that will be willing to open their borders to the US to set up bases, all three have international Airports, and you now have control of a once stable region. America takes no interest in you unless it promotes their interest.
Thank you Mia, you are a man among Men (no pun intended also).
Even though your country has a lot to lose… Ros University, US Embassy, Tourist arrivals, cruise ship arrivals, all of which have a significant impact on Barbados economy … you continue to put your money where your mouth is.
But Mia,aren’t you the same who devided our country, encouraging your pet to be for some and against others.
This caricom thing is a circus and your are performing remarkably well Mia.
Good Ms. Motley! The US foreign policies are mostly self serving and divisive. If the U.S. cannot invite all the foreign Ministers of CARICOM to this specific meeting then those who are invited should politely decline. These policies will affect the entire Caribbean region so all the CARICOM Foreign Ministers should be heard. We, as a region, should not be a lapdog to any country, we have our own sovereignty to protect.
Motley takes first knock at the ball.
I note that as chairman of CARICOM she doesn’t agree that her foreign minister should participate. She’s speaking for her country…as chairman.
Of course de whole issue is about Chinese influence in the region.
Barbados has a US embassy…. could they invite a Chinese embassy there as well?
By the way Maduro has made up his mind to negotiate with the US.
What does that mean about the strength of Alba?
Talking about dividing the region…. Picard is a ghost town…. dollars nah run like when Ross University was here. Ross has boosted your economy….our loss has crooked ours.
Your gain turned out to be our loss.
Who is really looking out for who in CARICOM?
RSS soldiers were shooting teargass Salisbury at 4am the day before our general election miss?
Who was looking out for the innocent children, elderly and even DLP supporters themselves?
CARICOM sold us out… remember?
The Treaty of Chaguaramas which has been in existence since 1973 establishing this Caribbean community, has not seen the integration upon which it was envisioned, instead today we are faced with a host of self serving leaders, while the region anguishes in high unemployment with a few territories performing above average. If we can not call out our friends, neighbors and family when they are going wrong then this community has no fundamentals, demonstrating just how divided, unethical and self-centered we are with leaders who refuse to acknowledge this, since the situation is to their benefit. so tell us Miss Mia Mortley, what is it that Caricom stands for? Let us not forget how much our neighbors, friends, and family problems may affect us, just as the issues of Trump being President. this hypocritical approach will help no one but Mia Mortley and other like leaders, who are self-serving!
Well said. Using the stand up tough to US as a political posture instead of standing smart. I don’t expect CARICOM to agree on everything with US niether bend over but the US is not CARICOM enemy. Instead they should look at those who sew that seed pretending to care. Heck there are state governors that dont agree with federal gov and some never get to hang out with secretary of state. Perfect example is the legalization of ganga in Colorado and elsewhere. If CARICOM was smart instead of being self serving the region would be leading the world on marijuana byproducts and marijuana revenue. They all stuck on the plantation.
CARICOM is an economic grouping which suppose to benefit the citizens and residents of CARICOM, we have not seen this! CARICOM has augmented imports from 2 billion to 4 billion from outside markets, this is demand which CARICOM could fulfil but without togetherness we have not seen any augmentation in the communication lines (shipping via sea and or air) within this grouping but this lady talks her crap about unity and principles! CARICOM has no real power, it’s not like the European union where standards have to be met to maintain being a member of the grouping or collective policies which are actually met. it’s all politics just to look good on paper. presently most of CARICOM is being manipulated by the Chinese for China benefit, our people remain power after our governments takes loans from China to employ Chinese in our very faces! to be paid back by our taxes. these governments are spineless and mindless. bankrupt of ideas to forward our societies!
“We don’t look to pick fights. I don’t look to pick fights….. ” Go say dat in Salisbury.
I suppose the US did not want to be seen meeting a leader who behaved just like Maduro: stealing election, which is why Motley is responding so angrily; I am confident Skerro – who clearly emulated Maduro- is one of the leaders Pompeo does not want to meet, but Mia has to stand by the money.
Remember the congratulatory statement by the ambassador in Barbados, then all of dem @#*&%$ ranting and raving about the acceptance of the CABAL by the US? Remember I told (your’all– linguistically: Black sarcasm) that you do not understand US foreign policy and how it functions: the @lin clowns, @Man bite dogs, even the one they call @brains who keep calling Q(%…. I am still looking for an intellectually relevant statement that would qualify him to be on that plane…
And now the CarryCum Chairman is crying about her poor political decision against Dominica, one which will bite her donkey.
My suspicions are growing that there is some sort of covert ‘project’ being undertaken by this batch of Eastern Caribbean Prime Ministers & agents.
Is ‘somebody’ somewhere running some sort of project? For now, I’ll refer to this project as the The Axis of Labour.
What are the driving forces, ideology, tactics & endgame of this axis?
Does this axis view persons such as Lennox Linton & Andrew Holness as potentially disruptive elements to their plans? What about Timothy Harris & Allen Chastanet?
In quite a number of the Eastern Caribbean countries, a number of the current governments are Labour-party governments, have the same red party colour; hmmm?
Are we seeing the creation of a one party-government system in the Eastern Caribbean sympathetic to leftist/socialist/communist ideologies? I note with interest that some of the operators during the Maurice Bishop era are still around and occupy high places.
The truth is hidden in plain sight.
Stay tuned…
DNO since you are giving us so much Barbados news, what about this one with a former government minister that was found in the US for money laundering and other charges? Maybe DNO you should ask PM Skerrit if he knew this former minister and if there is any reason for concern.
https://www.justice.gov/
Self proclaimed FBI agent don’t worry about Skerrit, your day will soon come. Remember you, your attorney and a former PM were caught hands in the cookie jar! A leopard could never change it’s skin. When you point a finger at others, you are actually pointing four at yourself. Everyday your daily bread is to see the demise of Skerrit, but yours will be before his own. Remember you were the one who brought the international TV outlet and they Exposed you until you cried.
We all know THE CARICOM LEADERS are nothing but a boys club, where one stands with each other. Unfortunately for the people of the Caribbean these boy club leaders only stand together for their evil personal interests and not for the well being of the people. That’s a group of leaders that just sent their soldiers and police officers to shoot and intermediate the poor people of Dominica, on the eve of an election, just to ensure that Roosevelt Skerrit steals the election once again so that all their evil deals remain in-house
The poor people of Dominica were holding the majority of the rich people hostages. Yes the people actually beat a passby to death and kept the candles burning was the pass word for light Dominica on fire. The poor people got their poor medication. Thanks to those who stabilize Dominica so we could have a free and fair elections, anarchy, inferno and chaos didn’t reign. As you stated, Evil can’t be right stop licking your wounds and move on!
Bravo Motley. No need to associate with Pompeo or any other crooks or criminals of the Trump regime.
They will be gone soon anyway.
I am absolutely certain that if they were able to, former Caribbean stalwart leaders Barrow, Burnham, Manley and Dr. Williams would be spinning in their graves in the face of the current push by the US to essentially divide and conquer our region.
Only a damn fool will believe Pompeo’s assertion that the obvious exclusion of Caricom countries from his conference does not reflect a push to weaken Caricom and de-stabilize the region.
I have zero faith in the credibility of anything Pompeo and the current US administration says or promises. It is crystal clear that their only interest in Venezuela and the rest of the Caribbean is to get ahead of China and Russia in the battle for regional control and subjugation.
Caribbean leaders need to be reminded that nothing is free. I implore them to consider the cost before mortgaging the future of your nations to those who care only about their interests.
CARICOM is its own worst enemy so not sure what she talking about. CARICOM is already divided and cannot be worst than it is. I have not seen the benifits of CARICOM to the regions people in last 40 years. Begging and dependency is mode. You were not concerned about helping Dominica keep Ross knowing it would affect Dominica economy when gone. Your only concern was people of bdos. The jack as…. we have running the country dont care about democracy. You guys all a bunch of con artist.