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PORT OF SPAIN — The Caribbean Community has been plunged into one of its most explosive political firestorms in recent history after Sean Sobers delivered a blistering, no-holds-barred indictment of CARICOM leadership—directly implicating Chairman Dr. Terrance Drew in what is now being branded a “shadow decision” scandal.

In a stunning address inside Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament, Sobers accused CARICOM of orchestrating what he described as a “surreptitious, irregular, and potentially unlawful” reappointment of Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett—without proper notice, agenda inclusion, or participation by all member states.

“This information came as a complete surprise,” Sobers declared, emphasizing that no agenda item, no discussion, and no formal communication ever indicated that such a critical decision was even under consideration.

The implications are seismic.

Sobers laid out a damning timeline:

No mention in the official January agenda

No discussion at the February Community Council

No record in plenary deliberations

No disclosure in post-meeting communiqués

No inclusion in the official summary of decisions

Yet—somehow—the reappointment was allegedly finalized.

“This is not just irregular,” Sobers warned. “It strikes at the very legality and credibility of CARICOM itself.”

In a direct legal challenge, Trinidad and Tobago invoked Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, asserting that any decision made without full participation of member states is ultra vires—null, void, and unlawful.

But the political undertone was even sharper.

Sobers praised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for boldly confronting CARICOM’s “structural weaknesses,” declaring:
“The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is not a coward.”

That line—delivered with surgical precision—has sent shockwaves across the region, widely interpreted as a thinly veiled swipe at CARICOM leadership under Drew.

Even more incendiary was Trinidad’s revelation that it was never invited—by email, phone, or otherwise—to any meeting where the decision was made.

Not invited. Not consulted. Not informed.

For a country that contributes 22% of CARICOM’s budget—tens of millions annually across key regional institutions—the message was clear: respect has broken down, and patience has run out.

“This has done irreparable harm to the institution,” Sobers declared.

Now, the region is left grappling with urgent, uncomfortable questions:

Was due process deliberately bypassed?

Who authorized the decision—and under what authority?

And critically—what role did the CARICOM Chair, Dr. Terrance Drew, play?

What was supposed to be a routine regional matter has now spiraled into a full-blown governance crisis, threatening to fracture trust at the highest levels of Caribbean integration.

With a pivotal CARICOM Heads meeting scheduled for July in Saint Lucia, the stage is now set for what could become a defining confrontation over transparency, power, and the future of regional unity.

One thing is certain:
CARICOM is no longer just facing questions—it is facing a reckoning.