Dr. Terrance Drew pushes back on criticism, says proper procedures followed in Carla Barnett's reappointment

St. Kitts and Nevis: Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. Terrance Drew has clarified that the reappointment of Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett is being carried out by following all the procedures.

He issued a statement in response to criticism from Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who raised the concern that she was not consulted before the decision of the reappointment.

PM Kamla Persad raised several governance issues including the reappointment of the Secretary General which were discussed earlier in February CARICOM Heads of government meeting. In order to address all these issues, a special emergency meeting was held on April 10, 2026 where Dr Drew added that all member states were informed ahead of the CARICOM meeting.

He firmly cleared that all the governments and heads were provided documents, agendas and meeting details before the meeting took place. However, the issue was raised by PM Persad-Bissessar who demanded accountability from the regional bloc.

Responding to these concerns, Dr. Drew noted that Trinidad and Tobago was not represented during key discussions. He explained that the Prime Minister left the CARICOM meeting before the retreat season and the Foreign Minister of the country was not able to attend.

Dr. Drew outlined that on the night of February 25, the Foreign Minister contacted the Secretary-General via WhatsApp to inquire about attending the retreat in the Prime Minister’s absence. He was advised that representation by a Foreign Minister was acceptable; however, he indicated possible inability to attend due to seasickness. As a result, Trinidad and Tobago was absent during critical discussions on governance and financing.

While explaining the matter, Chairman Dr. Terrance Drew mentioned that the decision was taken after all the heads of the government agreed to the reappointment of the Secretary General in accordance with Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. He also emphasized that the process was conducted transparently and confirmed that the Secretary-General was not present during the deliberations.

PM Dr Drew stressed that they also made efforts to inform absent leaders of the decision before making any official and public announcement. However, attempts to contact Kamla Persad-Bissessar were unsuccessful at the time, prompting officials to relay the decision through the country’s Foreign Minister instead.

The meeting also led to the establishment of a subcommittee comprising representatives from Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, and Jamaica. The body has been mandated to review governance and financing frameworks within CARICOM institutions.

Dr. Drew underscored the importance of resolving internal matters through established regional mechanisms, cautioning that public criticism outside these channels could undermine efforts toward deeper regional integration.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has characterized the process as “surreptitious and odious,” warning of potential implications for CARICOM governance. Trinidad and Tobago’s ongoing boycott has left the issue unresolved, as consultations continue behind the scenes.