Source : Antigua. News
A senior Antigua and Barbuda government official, speaking to Antigua. News on condition of anonymity has urged residents and regional partners to boycott the importation of goods from Trinidad and Tobago following recent remarks by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that critics here say directly insult Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership.
Persad-Bissessar’s comments, made on social media on Sunday, accused the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including Antigua and Barbuda, of “aligning itself with the Maduro narco-government” and implicitly backed United States policy in the region over Venezuela.
She described Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him” and dismissed CARICOM’s longstanding zone of peace diplomatic framework as a “façade” that shields Caracas.
In her statement, the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister insisted her government “wants no part of that alignment,” arguing that Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica should focus less on her remarks and more on explaining why U.S. visa restrictions were imposed on their citizens.
Reacting strongly to these assertions, the unnamed government official told Antigua.news that Persad-Bissessar’s characterisation of Antigua and Barbuda’s foreign policy was “completely unfounded and deeply offensive.”
He said the suggestion that Antigua is somehow backing dictatorship or drug trafficking was “an insult to our nation, our democratic values, and our commitment to regional unity.”
“For the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago to cast aspersions on our government and to denigrate CARICOM’s principled diplomatic approach is both irresponsible and reckless,” the official said.
“Such language has consequences, and we cannot ignore the implications for our people, our economy, and our regional relationships.”
He urged Antigua and Barbuda residents and businesses to consider a boycott of Trinidad and Tobago goods, arguing that if formal diplomatic channels and regional mechanisms cannot curb what he described as “disrespectful rhetoric,” consumers and partners should take matters into their own hands.
The official also believes that other CARICOM countries should join the boycott to send a collective message about respect and regional solidarity.
Antigua and Barbuda imports a significant range of goods from Trinidad and Tobago, reflecting deep economic links between the two CARICOM states. In 2024, Antigua and Barbuda imported approximately US $28.2 million worth of products from Trinidad and Tobago — representing around 4.2 % of total imports.
These imports include a variety of consumer and capital goods, such as:
• Motor vehicles and automotive parts
• Frozen poultry and other food preparations
• Medicaments and pharmaceutical products
• Beverages and other manufactured goods