Guyana, Trinidad Distance Themselves From CARICOM Statement on Cuba – NY Carib News
Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have reserved their positions on a strongly worded CARICOM statement criticizing the United States over its escalating pressure campaign against Cuba.
The two Caribbean nations were the only CARICOM member states to withhold support for sections of the statement condemning the United States’ “ongoing and intensifying economic, commercial, and financial measures” against Cuba, as well as warnings against possible military action targeting the island.
Both countries are members of the Shield of the Americas, a United States-backed security initiative launched by President Donald Trump during a summit in Miami in March 2026. The 17-nation alliance focuses on combating transnational crime, illegal migration, and countering Chinese influence across the Americas.
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali joined leaders from several Latin American and Caribbean countries at the summit hosted by Trump.
In its statement issued Wednesday, CARICOM’s Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) expressed “profound concern” over the worsening humanitarian and economic situation in Cuba.
“The mounting hardships facing the Cuban people also seriously impact CARICOM nationals studying and living in Cuba, whose well-being remains a priority for the Community,” the statement said.
COFCOR argued that the longstanding United States embargo and related sanctions have had a damaging impact on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Cubans.
The regional body also defended Cuba’s right to access fuel supplies, condemning efforts to obstruct energy shipments to the island.
“COFCOR unequivocally affirms Cuba’s sovereign right to import and receive fuel, and condemns the obstruction of energy supplies to Cuba, which has precipitated a grave humanitarian crisis,” the statement noted.
The foreign ministers further warned against any suggestion of military intervention, reaffirming the Caribbean’s status as a “Zone of Peace.”
“Any such action would inflict unnecessary human suffering, impose grave material costs, and fundamentally destabilize the security architecture of the entire Caribbean region,” the statement added.
CARICOM also maintained that Cuba “poses no threat to any nation” and described the continued sanctions regime as inconsistent with international law, human rights principles, and norms governing relations between sovereign states.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. Washington has accused Havana of posing a national security threat while tightening sanctions and implementing what Cuban officials describe as an oil blockade.
Last week, the United States escalated tensions further by indicting former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two aircraft belonging to the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people and intensified diplomatic tensions between both countries.
According to reports from the BBC, both China and Russia criticized the United States’ decision to charge Castro, with Beijing accusing Washington of using “coercion” and “threats” against Cuba, while the Kremlin described the growing pressure on Havana as conduct that “borders on violence.”