Caribbean Community (CAICOM) Heads of Government will gather in Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN) next week, for the historic 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, scheduled for the twin-island Federation’s capital, Basseterre, from Tuesday to Friday (February 24 to 27).
The major four-day parley takes place five months ahead of usual mid-year July 4 summit, the last hosted July 6-8 2025 in Jamaica.
Worrying Developments
To be hosted by SKN Prime Minister Terrance Drew, next week’s summit follows several recent worrying regional and international developments with serious implications for Caribbean sovereignty and security, immigration and visa issues, medical and health matters, as well as education.
Some leaders are also especially worried by the continuing bombing of fishing boats in Caribbean waters by the US military, resulting in increasing numbers of deaths.
The latest US attack (in mid-February) on outboard-motored fishing boats (that Washington claims were engaged in trafficking drugs to the US) have taken three lives, suspectedly including two brothers missing from Saint Lucia.
But there’s no indication yet, who was the third person killed.
The deadly attack took place near Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), but neither Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday, nor neighbouring Saint Lucia’s Philip J. Pierre, have been informed officially (up to press time).
Yet, the US Armed Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has publicly acknowledged the latest killer strike, indicating it was part of three (including two in the Pacific) that took 11 lives, taking the total number killed in similar circumstances to 140.
More Questions…
Prime Ministers Pierre and Friday are heading to the summit with more questions than answers.
The US is claiming it’s killing so-called ‘Narco-terrorists’, in defense of its ‘national security interests’.
But the strikes leave no evidence, leaving families of the dead in mournful uncertainty, with no proof whether the missing men are dead — or (hopefully) still alive.
Venezuela
This first regional summit since the January 3 US operation against Venezuela and abduction of its President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores will also look at that action’s long-term implications and continuing effects.
CARICOM and Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) leaders issued careful statements after the shocking, surprising early-morning attack that took the lives of over 100 Venezuelans and 32 Cubans.
Cuba
The summit will also discuss the situation facing Cuba, after CARICOM Opposition Leaders issued a related joint statement Thursday (February 19), following the latest US naval embargo blocking oil shipments to the island’s 11 million people.
Washington has also threatened to impose tariffs against any nation that attempts to assist Cuba, while Russia and Canada have evacuated thousands of citizens stranded there.
Haiti
Haiti is also on the agenda for Basseterre, now that its controversial Interim Presidential Council’s mandate expired on February 7, 2026.
Saint Lucia’s former Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony is expected to present the latest report from CARICOM’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which he leads – and expected to call for urgent return to presidential and parliamentary elections.
Diplomatic ‘Warnings’
But before and since January 3, US diplomats have been seen and heard as publicly threatening regional governments, through clear warnings of consequences for disregarding Washington’s new interventionist expressions of regional intent.
Barbados recently complained about having signed an Agreement with Washington against its will; and The Bahamas was loudly told by the resident US Ambassador that Washington opposes a deal the government has already signed with a China construction firm to build an urgently-need new national hospital.
Prime Minister Pierre last week called for his CARICOM colleagues to “be proactive” and to collectively discuss common threats and united responses.
It’s expected, however, that with the restrictive ‘Unanimity’ clause now replaced by ‘Majority Rule’, there’s more chance of CARICOM adopting as united a position as possible, on some issues of common concern.
Collective Concerns
CARICOM leaders remain understandably collectively concerned about implications of current US policies on the region under President Trump since his return to the White House in January.
But, some member-states have already signed on dotted lines, while others are negotiating possible direct deals with Washington.
Extraordinary
Next week’s extraordinary regional summit also comes with increasing concern among leaders about the implications of some of the demands on Caribbean governments by Washington.
The US pressures (before and since January 3) include:
• National governments being diplomatically forced to consider termination of long-standing bilateral health agreements with Cuba
• Demand for termination of the Bahamas Government’s contract with the Chinese firm
• Forced Caribbean acceptance of unwanted immigrants whose applications for asylum in the US have been rejected — and will be deported to some neighbouring Caribbean states; and
• OECS member-states with Passports-for-Sale programs being forced to abandon them, under threats of new visa entry restrictions
Passport Sales Competition?
SVG doesn’t have a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, but the new Friday administration is interested in starting one.
However, Washington and Brussels have made it clear they oppose these Caribbean programs — seen as competing for the same rich immigrants seeking other passports.
The Caribbean states are also seen on both sides of The Atlantic as offering similar high-value passports for sale for only around US $100,000, while the ‘Golden Visas’ offered by the US and EU states are valued up-to US $1 billion.
Reparations
But it’s CARICOM’s 12-year-old quest for Reparations from Europe for Slavery and Native Genocide that seems to be the major Agenda item that’ll attract most agreement among the worried leaders in Basseterre.
They’ll discuss the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) Revised 10-Point Plan (TPP) for Reparatory Justice, which outlines the ultimate objectives of the joint regional call.
SKN’s National Reparations Committee (NRC) is organizing a related summit event on ‘Reparations: Financing Justice – Advancing Caribbean Development’ – an hour-long briefing the leaders are also invited to.
Meanwhile, Surinam’s new President Dr Jeniffer Geerlings-Simons and SVG’s PM Friday will be attending their first summit since taking office last year.