Caribbean Leaders Voice Concerns as Rubio Visits Regional Summit

Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to St. Kitts and Nevis Wednesday to meet with Caribbean Community leaders who have expressed unease about recent Trump administration policies. The discussions come after military operations in Venezuela and increased pressure on regional nations regarding deportations and relations with Cuba and China.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in St. Kitts and Nevis Wednesday to meet with Caribbean Community leaders who have voiced concerns about the direction of Trump administration policies affecting their region.

Rubio’s visit to the CARICOM summit follows last month’s military operation that resulted in the arrest of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, along with increased enforcement actions against alleged drug trafficking and heightened pressure on Cuba.

In Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech, President Trump described Maduro’s capture as “an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States. And it also opens up a bright new beginning for the people of Venezuela.”

The 15-member Caribbean bloc has convened to address urgent regional challenges as the Trump administration implements what it calls a modern version of the Monroe Doctrine to strengthen U.S. influence across the Western Hemisphere.

Trump stated his administration is “restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism and foreign interference.”

Regional leaders have raised objections to several administration policies, including requirements that countries accept deportees from third nations, end Cuban medical programs, and limit ties with China.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ newly elected Prime Minister Godwin Friday expressed concerns similar to those heard from European officials, stating the Caribbean faces challenges “from inside and out. International rules and practices that we have become used to over the years have changed in troubling ways.”

During Tuesday’s opening session, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, who chairs CARICOM, declared the region “stands at a decisive hour.”

“The global order is shifting,” Drew explained. “Supply chains remain uncertain, energy markets fluctuate and climate shocks intensify.”

Drew and other officials discussed shifting international dynamics and emphasized the need to address Cuba’s humanitarian crisis, a point also highlighted by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“It must be clear that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba,” Holness cautioned. “It will affect migration, security and economic stability across the Caribbean basin.”

Holness affirmed that Jamaica “stands firmly for democracy” while also “supports constructive dialogue between Cuba and the U.S. aimed at de-escalation, reform and stability.”

Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell told The Associated Press Tuesday before the summit that while he’s unsure which specific issues will arise in discussions with Rubio, he anticipates comprehensive talks about U.S.-Caribbean relations.

“It is about mutual respect and a rules-based order,” Mitchell explained. “Those are some of the things we would expect from the meeting, and we are also available for any private dialogue with Mr. Rubio.”

The State Department hasn’t disclosed which officials will meet with Rubio Wednesday, but indicated he plans to explore ways to enhance regional security, stability, trade and economic development through both group sessions and one-on-one meetings.

Caribbean leaders are also scheduled to address additional topics including security concerns, reparations, climate change, financing issues, and establishing a unified market system.

Rubio’s Caribbean trip occurs more than a month following Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces and his transfer to America to face drug trafficking allegations.

Since early September, U.S. operations have resulted in at least 151 deaths during strikes against small vessels suspected of drug smuggling. Monday’s most recent attack claimed three lives in Caribbean waters. U.S. officials have not released evidence confirming these boats were transporting narcotics.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has consistently supported these operations. Tuesday she again expressed gratitude to Trump, Rubio and U.S. military forces “for standing firm against narcotrafficking” and for their assistance with national security issues.

“The crime is so bad, I cannot depend on just my military, my protective services,” she stated.

Cuba’s circumstances are anticipated to be a central focus during the CARICOM gathering.

Cuba’s U.N. resident coordinator Francisco Pichón informed AP Monday that the U.S. oil embargo is blocking humanitarian assistance from reaching communities still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, which hit eastern Cuba in late October as a Category 3 hurricane.

Pichón pointed out that the energy restrictions and fuel shortages “affect the entire logistics chain involved in being able to work in Cuba at this time, anywhere in the country.”