LatinNews Daily - 17 July 2023

Trinidad & Tobago/Region: On 5 July US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Trinidad and Tobago, where he participated in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) heads of government meeting and the 50th Anniversary of Caricom celebration. This trip builds upon US Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent visit to The Bahamas on 8 June. Blinken was accompanied by US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols. During the meeting, Blinken engaged in topics of common interest with the represented heads of government, including Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley and Dominica’s Prime Minister and incoming Caricom chair Roosevelt Skerrit. Topics discussed included supporting democratic institutions, expanding access to international finance, energy and food security, tackling violent crime, and efforts to ensure disaster preparedness and climate resilience, including through the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis, or PACC 2030. In his remarks at the meeting, Blinken also stated that the US shared the commitment of Caribbean nations to address the crisis in Haiti, stating that the US would provide Haiti, whose Prime Minister Ariel Henry he also met that day, with training for its security forces and humanitarian assistance. On 6 July, Blinken travelled to Guyana and met with President Irfaan Ali, Foreign Minister Hugh Todd, and key members of the cabinet to discuss priority bilateral issues, including food and energy security, climate resilience, regional migration, and building local capacity.

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