The Prime Ministers of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, led the call from Caribbean leaders on Wednesday to act as a bridge between Washington and Havana, following the conclusion of the annual summit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Castries, Saint Lucia.
According to reported by EFE, CARICOM has formally informed both the United States and Cuba that it is willing to facilitate conversations between the two countries, although the 15 member states of the bloc could not reach a broader common position on the situation in the island.
"This is not an easy topic," Mottley admitted at the close of the four-day meeting. "I believe we all agree that conversations and debate need to take place, but without prejudice... for a peaceful resolution of what is happening with Cuba: there is a humanitarian crisis and that reality can no longer be ignored."
The mediation offer comes amidst an unprecedented escalation of pressure from the Trump administration on the Cuban regime, which has imposed over 240 sanctions since January 2026, reducing the island's energy imports by 80% to 90% and causing blackouts of up to 22-25 hours a day.
Mottley illustrated with a concrete example the consequences of those measures on neighboring countries: an attempt to purchase powdered baby milk intended for Cuba was rejected by the banks four times before the payment could be processed on Tuesday.
"We recognize that this will always be a complicated issue, as was acknowledged on Tuesday in the United Nations vote," said the Prime Minister of Barbados.
"But we want to remain focused on humanitarian efforts, and we want to stay focused on the dialogue that must take place to resolve this issue."
The reference to the UN refers to the vote on Tuesday in the General Assembly, which approved an urgent debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba with 136 votes in favor, nine against, and 30 abstentions, marking the first time the regime has resorted to this extraordinary mechanism.
That vote, however, revealed cracks in the Caribbean block: Dominica and the Dominican Republic abstained, breaking CARICOM's tradition of consensus on matters related to Cuba.
The Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, who lived in Cuba for seven years while studying medicine, summarized the sentiment of the bloc: "All of us who are part of CARICOM and the region are deeply moved by what has happened."
The growing concern in the Caribbean over the humanitarian deterioration in Cuba has prompted several countries to send aid individually since the summit in February, when the bloc agreed on a coordinated response that included food, medicine, and solar panels.
The pressure from Washington was also felt on other agenda items: the agreements to host deported migrants from third countries and the Citizenship by Investment program were left without a common position, despite both issues directly impacting the island economies.
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, warned that his country collects about 100 million dollars annually thanks to this program and that eliminating it "may not be the most viable option."
The summit also overcame internal tensions: Persad-Bissessar had objected to the reappointment of the block's secretary general, Carla Barnett, but by the end of the meeting, the dispute was sufficiently resolved.
"I have always said that Trinidad remains committed to CARICOM. We have unwavering support for CARICOM," he stated.
Mottley concluded with an image that summarizes the bloc's stance on the conflict between the two powers: "When you live in a neighborhood, what happens in the neighborhood affects everyone. The neighborhood extends from Florida to Guyana and Suriname."
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