CARICOM leaders met on Friday before the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jamaica this week. Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Stuart Young confirmed discussions with CARICOM Chair Mia Mottley regarding the agenda.
Key topics included the ongoing crisis in Haiti, where gangs threaten the government amid plans for elections, and the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves recently engaged in talks to ease tensions over the Essequibo region, warning that conflict could severely impact both nations and the broader Caribbean region.
The regional leaders also discussed a concept for a regional debt swap, as well as the impact of the announced United States charges on Chinese-built ships going to US ports.