T&T's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has given every indication that her country does not consider Caricom as a strategic partner. Many of us can recall her famous first term "ATM" statement which in true Trumpian style sent the meassage that "two hoots with everything" I am singularly focused on TNT and TNT alone.
At the start of her second term in office she has doubled down on her philosophy that only TNT's interest is paramount and historical partners in Caricom can talk all they want this will not attract her attention.
TNT has long enjoyed a one-sided economic relationship and cooperation with the rest of Caricom with significant trade surpluses. It appears that not even this economic advantage can sway the PM to maintain this functional cooperation.She is now prepared to be a lackey of Trump at the risk of her country's isolation from the rest of Caricom. The TNT PM appears not to be analytical enough to see the folly of her ways. She has dumped all her eggs in the Trump basket hoping that she will get the crumbs which fall off his table, But Trump has also shown that his politics is overly transactional and in the overall scheme of things TNT is a pawn to be used and discarded.
If Trump has to deport the over 300, 000 TNT nationals in the US today he will do it to appease his base and use his foreign policy as a major distraction to divert attention from his domestic problems.
It does not matter one bit to Kamla that Trump's Exceutive Oder which increases trade tariffs of member states of Caricom will have severe adverse economic effects on the region. It matters not if her actions put a dent on regional unity. Hers is not a policy of integration and and safeguarding regional friendships but one designed to fragment the region in an attempt to seek favours from the US. Enough of Kamla's myopia.
Andrew Holness must step up to the plate. I am sure Andrew will find a reliable partner in Mia Motley as they pursue strategic imperatives to advance the region's agenda.
Jamaica's longstanding problem has been its lack of shipping to the Southern Caribbean.and this hinders regional trade. A speedy solution must be found to circumvent the trading relationship with TNT. At this stage in Caricom's development nothing is gauranteed with our fickle relationship with TNT. The rest of the region must move with haste to avert an economic fallout arising out of a recalcitarnt PM Kamla. .