By Peter Richards
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Feb 24, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Tuesday told regional leaders on Tuesday “who vex loss” as she reiterated her full support for the United States military presence in the Caribbean in helping to deal with the illegal drug trade, while also criticising the existing political situation in Cuba.
Addressing the ceremonial opening the 50th ordinary meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Persad-Bissessar took yet another turn at the regional integration movement for its adherence to the Caribbean being declared a zone of peace.
She said the decision by Washington to send its military into the Caribbean Sea to help stem the flow of illegal drugs to the North American country had paid dividends for her Caribbean island as she linked the high murder toll in the oil-rich twin island republic to the drug trade.
“So again, I repeat…who vex loss. But we gained. We gained from the …military help, and I will welcome them again. So we changed the policy, and we were able to bring those murders down by 42 per cent, as I say, that’s 257 less people who would have been dead had we not taken that course of action,” she told the ceremony.
Insisting that her administration is supporting of the 15-member CARICOM grouping, Persad-Bissessar sought to recall instances that questioned the sincerity of the grouping.
“We respect the sovereign right of CARICOM members, with respect to your choice for national security, for your nation, and respect to your choice for foreign policy…and we expect no less from others.”
(Details in Politics section)
CMC/2026