ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — Caribbean unity has long been sold as a sacred creed, a post-colonial necessity for a region fractured by colonial empires and corporate exploitation. But in a fiery broadside that’s rattling diplomatic circles, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne is calling bullshit.
“CARICOM is a marriage where some partners feast while others starve,” Browne seethed in an exclusive interview, slamming the 50-year-old Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for perpetuating what he calls “integration without equity.” His critique—a Molotov cocktail tossed at the bloc’s genteel consensus—highlights a deepening rift between smaller nations and regional heavyweights like Jamaica and Trinidad, as debates over trade, travel, and who reaps the rewards of unity turn toxic.
“Big Fish Eat the Small”: Browne’s Blistering Critique
Browne’s grievances aren’t abstract. He’s raging against the carcass of LIAT, the bankrupt regional airline once dubbed “the Caribbean’s lifeline,” which collapsed in 2020 after decades of mismanagement. Antigua, home to LIAT’s headquarters, hemorrhaged jobs and cash, while larger nations like Barbados and Trinidad largely sidestepped bailout pleas. “We carried the burden while others cashed in,” Browne said. “Now they want to launch a new airline without us? That’s CARICOM in a nutshell: all solidarity, zero sacrifice.”
Then there’s the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), a decades-old plan to emulate the EU with free movement and trade. Progress? Glacial. Benefits? Skewed. Browne argues that bigger economies dominate cross-border commerce, while smaller states like Antigua get crumbs. “We’re told to open our markets, but when our farmers and entrepreneurs try to compete, they’re buried under subsidies and tariffs from the ‘big brothers,’” he said.
“Tokenism and Empty Rhetoric”: The Hypocrisy of Regionalism
CARICOM’s mantra is “One Caribbean,” but Browne isn’t buying it. He points to recent spats over Covid-19 vaccines, where wealthier members allegedly hoarded doses, and the ongoing farce of intra-regional travel—where Jamaicans still need visas for some CARICOM nations. “How can we preach unity when our citizens are treated like second-class?” he fumed.
Even climate justice, the bloc’s flagship cause, reeks of hypocrisy, Browne argues. When CARICOM nations demand reparations from former colonizers, he says, they’re united. But when it’s time to share green energy tech or disaster funds? Crickets. “The same countries shouting about climate reparations won’t lift a finger to help their neighbors build resilient infrastructure. It’s tokenism.”
Trinidad and Jamaica Hit Back: “He’s Grandstanding”
Unsurprisingly, Browne’s salvo has triggered blowback. A senior Trinidadian official, speaking anonymously, dismissed his claims as “theatrics”: “Gaston’s playing victim to distract from his own failures.” Jamaica’s foreign ministry retorted that CARICOM “works best when we collaborate, not complain.”
But Browne’s not alone. St. Vincent’s PM Ralph Gonsalves recently griped about “donor fatigue” in disaster relief, while Dominica’s Roosevelt Skerrit has lamented the “slow-motion collapse” of regional institutions. Even grassroots activists are piling on: “CARICOM’s a boys’ club for elites,” said Antiguan labor leader Shermain Jeremy. “They jet off to summits, sip champagne, and pretend our struggles don’t exist.”
Reform or Fracture? The Future of “One Caribbean”
Browne’s solution? A total overhaul. He wants weighted voting to empower smaller states, mandatory equity clauses in trade deals, and a regional fund to cushion crises—proposals that’ll likely die in committee. “CARICOM’s allergic to accountability,” he scoffed.
Yet for all his fury, Browne hasn’t threatened to quit the bloc—yet. The alternatives are grim: go it alone in a world where even microstates like Antigua (population: 100k) are geopolitical pawns. Still, his revolt exposes an open secret: CARICOM’s unity is fraying, strained by inequality and a growing sense that the region’s Davos class has checked out.
“We’re at a crossroads,” Browne warned. “Either we rebuild this union on fairness, or watch it crumble into irrelevance.”
