Good morning, Caribbean! 🌴
It’s Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Across the region, the biggest story continues to be the one floating in your waters — the United States military is still sinking boats, Maduro has been captured and removed from Venezuela, and Caribbean leaders can’t agree on whether this is liberation or colonialism with better PR.
Meanwhile, Barbados has an election in 8 days, Jamaica just got emergency money from the IMF, and CPL ticket sales start this week. Let’s dive in.
🚢 OPERATION SOUTHERN SPEAR: THE NUMBERS NOBODY CAN IGNORE
Since September 2025, the US military has executed at least 36 strikes on 37 vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 117 people. The campaign — branded “Operation Southern Spear” — represents the largest US military deployment in the Americas in decades.
📊 OPERATION SOUTHERN SPEAR — BY THE NUMBERS
Metric Count Total strikes 36+ Vessels hit 37 People killed 117+ Caribbean Sea strikes 11 Eastern Pacific strikes 24 Survivors taken into custody 4 Evidence publicly presented None
The January 3 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a predawn raid escalated everything. The US had been steadily tightening the noose — seizing oil tankers in December, blockading Venezuelan waters, designating the Maduro regime as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and finally executing what they called “Operation Absolute Resolve.”
The Caribbean Response Is… Divided:
Trinidad’s PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar offered the US access to Trinidad for operations and was quoted saying the military should deal with drug traffickers “violently.” Venezuela’s response was to call this an act of war.
Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds took the opposite view, expressing concern that the strikes “bypassed due process” and urged that suspects be “arrested, tried, and sentenced” — not assassinated at sea.
CARICOM foreign ministers wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking that military operations not be conducted without prior notice. The response from Washington has been, effectively, silence.
Human Rights Watch has called the campaign “extrajudicial killings” with no credible legal basis. Two citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are believed to have been among those killed in an October strike, though neither government has confirmed this.
🇧🇧 BARBADOS: ELECTION DAY FEBRUARY 11
Barbados heads to the polls in 8 days, and the race is shaping up to be competitive. The Friends of Democracy (FOD) has released its manifesto, pledging tax relief for seniors and penalties for late government payments. Christ Church East Central is emerging as one of the island’s most competitive constituencies, with four candidates contesting.
Aviation safety concerns linger after last year’s US-related flight cancellations, though normal operations have resumed. Voters across St. Philip say the number of candidates is unprecedented but real issues — cost of living, healthcare, infrastructure — remain the same regardless of who’s running.
🇯🇲 JAMAICA: $415M IMF EMERGENCY LIFELINE
The IMF Executive Board approved Jamaica’s request for approximately US$415 million in emergency financial assistance to meet urgent balance-of-payments needs. This comes as Caribbean economies continue to navigate post-pandemic recovery, rising import costs, and the fallout from global trade disruption.
PM Andrew Holness, fresh off winning a historic third consecutive term in September’s elections, faces the challenge of maintaining fiscal discipline while delivering on campaign promises. Jamaica’s gas prices rose again this week — up $0.45 and $0.47 for gasoline, and $2.00 for diesel — reminding voters that election victories don’t fill your tank.
🇹🇹 TRINIDAD: WALKING A TIGHTROPE
Trinidad and Tobago finds itself in the most delicate position in the region. PM Persad-Bissessar’s public support for US military operations — including offering the US access to Trinidadian territory — drew Venezuela’s ire. Maduro had threatened both Trinidad and Guyana with retaliation before his capture.
Now, with Maduro removed and US forces firmly established in the southern Caribbean, Trinidad must manage:
- Its energy relationship with Venezuela (interrupted cooperation agreements)
- Fears about Trinidadian fishermen being caught in US strikes (two TT nationals believed killed in October)
- The ongoing CPL cricket season and regional tourism that depends on stability
CPL 2026 final tickets go on sale February 7 — a reminder that life and sport go on, even when your neighbour’s president just got kidnapped.
🌊 REGIONAL ROUNDUP
US Visa Crackdown: Caribbean nationals face stricter US visa scrutiny in 2026 as Washington cracks down on birth tourism. Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada are all affected. Enhanced interviews, deeper travel intent examination, and processing delays are expected.
Guyana’s Ali in Belize: President Ali addressed the Belizean National Assembly, calling for Caribbean food security cooperation and fair regional trade. He and PM Briceño discussed sugar industry partnerships.
CCJ Leadership Visit: Caribbean Court of Justice President Winston Anderson and Registrar Gabrielle Figaro-Jones are in Trinidad for official engagements — a reminder that the region’s judicial independence continues to develop, even as external military powers operate freely in its waters.
SVG Sailing Week: The countdown to SVG Sailing Week 2026 has officially begun following a media launch in St. Vincent. Tourism operators across the Eastern Caribbean are banking on a strong season.
Sabga Awards: The 2026 Anthony N. Sabga Awards for Caribbean Excellence honoured five individuals — from Barbados, Jamaica, and Guyana — in arts, entrepreneurship, public service, and science. Caribbean excellence persists regardless of geopolitics.
💭 THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Caribbean is living through a moment that will be studied in history books. A major world power has assembled a naval fleet in regional waters, executed lethal strikes killing over 100 people, captured a sitting head of state, and is enforcing a blockade on a sovereign nation — all within Caribbean maritime territory.
Some CARICOM leaders support it. Some oppose it. Most are trying not to say anything too loudly in either direction. The one thing everyone agrees on is that small island states have almost no leverage when a superpower decides your backyard is its battlefield.
The question for the Caribbean isn’t whether drug trafficking should be stopped — everyone agrees it should. The question is whether military assassination without evidence, trial, or accountability is the method the region accepts. Because once you accept it for drug boats, the precedent is set for whatever comes next.
That’s your Caribbean Brief for Tuesday. Barbados votes in 8 days, Jamaica balances the books, Trinidad balances relationships, and the entire region balances sovereignty against survival. 🌴