Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has advanced the Government’s challenge to the reappointment of Caricom Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, using the regional body’s own internal communications trail to argue that the process was handled in a surreptitious and flawed manner.
Persad-Bissessar also said any effort to publicly malign Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs would be met with direct responses from both herself and her administration.
The Prime Minister, via her social media channels yesterday morning, fired back at Caricom chairman Dr Terrance Drew, noting that there was more official attention given to a ceremonial shirt than to the reappointment process of the Secretary-General.
On Saturday, Persad-Bissessar issued a statement reiterating her call for transparency and shared a letter from Sobers to Drew, dated April 9, 2026, which refuted his claim in a letter dated April 8 which was leaked on social media, that Sobers was invited to the retreat and declined because of issues with seasickness.
Following Persad-Bissessar’s post, the Caricom chairman issued a statement in which he said Sobers was invited and included a timeline of events.
However, none of the correspondence shared clearly specified that the reappointment of Barnett would take place at the retreat, and the statement also excluded a WhatsApp message sent to foreign ministers which indicated that the retreat was for Caricom Heads only.
The Prime Minister maintained the reappointment process was done in a surreptitious manner and further accused the Caricom Secretariat of enabling a public smear campaign against Sobers, whom she insisted was “disinvited” to the Nevis retreat where the decision was taken to reappoint Barnett.
The Prime Minister shared and highlighted in yellow key aspects of documents circulated by Caricom which, she said, revealed a striking imbalance in official correspondence leading up to the February 26 retreat in St Kitts and Nevis.
Persad-Bissessar said eight separate messages were sent to Trinidad and Tobago between January 19 and February 26, covering a period of 39 days, concerning “the soon to be legendary Caricom shirt but zero messages were sent regarding any agenda item to reappoint GS (General Secretary) Barnett.”
“Clearly the shirt was of utmost significance and importance but the reappointment of the GS of Caricom was not,” she stated.
The Prime Minister argued that the records demonstrated that dress protocol appeared to receive more formal attention than the renewal of the tenure of the region’s top administrative officer, a development she said raises grave questions about transparency, governance, and institutional credibility.
She described as the most troubling omission from Caricom’s explanation: a WhatsApp message sent on the day of the retreat, informing foreign ministers that Drew had decided the session would be “Heads only”.
The Prime Minister stated, “They also chose to intentionally leave out a response to a most important aspect of our letter: the notification via Whatsapp at 8.56 a.m. on February 26th, 2026 (the actual day of the Retreat), from the Caricom Secretariat that the Retreat was for Heads of Governments ONLY and subsequent confirmations from the Chef de Cabinet Janice Miller.”
Persad-Bissessar said this WhatsApp message stated, “Good morning Foreign Ministers. Chairman PM Drew has indicated that today will be a Heads only retreat. Notwithstanding any indication otherwise, he would like it to remain Heads only. He apologises for any inconvenience. Ministers should therefore remain for the Community Council Meeting to complete its work, including those agenda items from the Heads agenda which Community Council is to consider and provide recommendations to Heads for adoption.”
She said this message was sent directly to foreign ministers, including Sobers, and later confirmed by Chef-de-Cabinet Janice Miller.
Persad-Bissessar maintained that this communication directly contradicted subsequent claims that Sobers had been invited to the retreat.
The Prime Minister said this evidence left only two possible conclusions: either Sobers was effectively disinvited on the day of the meeting, or he was deliberately excluded to facilitate what she repeatedly termed Barnett’s “surreptitious reappointment process”.
“When will Barnett and Miller address this WhatsApp message which was sent to foreign ministers including Minister Sobers that was verified by our director of Caricom? At best Minister Sobers was disinvited because he had no fancy Caricom shirt, at worst he was disinvited to deliberately facilitate Ms Barnett’s surreptitious reappointment process,” stated Persad-Bissessar.
She cited a separate February 22 e-mail from Miller which, she said, also described the retreat as being for Heads of Government only, further undermining the narrative that the Trinidad and Tobago minister had full access to the proceedings.
“Even their own e-mail from Chef de Cabinet Janice Miller dated 22nd February 2026 states that the retreat is only for heads of government which contradicts their position that minister Sobers was invited,” she stated.
‘Eroding confidence’
Persad-Bissessar further questioned where the documentary proof her Government requested from Caricom was, which included:
—the official minutes of the retreat meeting
—Barnett’s performance appraisal
—records of the 2021 appointment procedure, which Caricom says mirrors the 2026 process
—all additional documentation requested in Sobers’ April 9 letter
“Hopefully the citizens of Caricom will be provided with time-stamped copies of these documents,” she stated.
Persad-Bissessar argued that the continued failure to release these records was eroding confidence in the regional integration movement itself, warning that progress toward deeper Caricom unity was being undermined.
“Any progress towards deepening the integration process is being diminished by the continued aversion to transparency regarding this surreptitious, corrupted and flawed process used to reappoint GS Barnett,” said Persad-Bissessar.
The Prime Minister said: “The deliberate attempts to avoid accountability but instead wilfully and publicly smear my Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers will continue to be met with public responses from myself and my Government. I again call on the Caricom secretariat for the requested documentation that was itemised in Minister Sobers April 9th 2026 letter to be provided. (Or maybe Charles could help you all on a next facebook post to smear Minister Sobers).”
The Express asked Persad-Bissessar on Saturday who was “Charles”, and she indicated that Caricom should provide this information.
The following is the text of the Prime Minister’s post:
THE CARICOM SHIRT VS GS BARNETT’s REAPPOINTMENT
According to Caricom’s own documents posted last night, between January 19th and February 26th (39 days) eight messages were sent to T&T regarding the soon to be legendary Caricom shirt but zero messages were sent regarding any agenda item to reappoint GS Barnett. Clearly the shirt was of utmost significance and importance but the reappointment of the GS of caricom was not.
They also chose to intentionally leave out a response to a most important aspect of our letter: the notification via Whatsapp at 8.56 a.m. on February 26th, 2026 (the actual day of the Retreat), from the Caricom Secretariat that the Retreat was for Heads of Governments ONLY and subsequent confirmations from the Chef de Cabinet Janice Miller.
“Good morning Foreign Ministers. Chairman PM Drew has indicated that today will be a Heads only retreat. Notwithstanding any indication otherwise, he would like it to remain Heads only. He apologises for any inconvenience. Ministers should therefore remain for the Community Council Meeting to complete its work, including those agenda items from the Heads agenda which Community Council is to consider and provide recommendations to Heads for adoption.”
When will Barnett and Miller address this WhatsApp message which was sent to foreign ministers including Minister Sobers that was verified by our Director of Caricom? At best Minister Sobers was disinvited because he had no fancy Caricom shirt, at worst he was disinvited to deliberately facilitate Ms Barnett’s surreptitious reappointment process.
Even their own email from Chef de Cabinet Janice Miller dated 22nd February 2026 states that the retreat is only for heads of government which contradicts their position that minister Sobers was invited.
Where are the minutes of the retreat meeting? Where’s GS Barnett’s performance appraisal? Where’s the documentation of the 2021 appointment process which is claimed to be the same as the 2026 process. Where’s the other documentation requested in our letter of April 9th 2026?
Hopefully the citizens of Caricom will be provided with time stamped copies of these documents.
Any progress towards deepening the integration process is being diminished by the continued aversion to transparency regarding this surreptitious, corrupted and flawed process used to reappoint GS Barnett. The deliberate attempts to avoid accountability but instead wilfully and publicly smear my minister of Foreign and Caricom affairs Sean Sobers will continue to be met with public responses from myself and my government. I again call on the Caricom secretariat for the requested documentation that was itemised in Minister Sobers April 9th 2026 letter to be provided. (Or maybe Charles could help you all on a next facebook post to smear Minister Sobers).
