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From our correspondent
Roseau, Dominica – November 11 2026 — Antigua and Barbuda initially intended to support a United Nations resolution concerning Cuba but reversed its decision after receiving a warning from the United States State Department that such a move could jeopardise progress in ongoing visa discussions. Prime Minister Gaston Browne made the disclosure during his weekly radio programme, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), explaining that Washington had contacted his administration and requested that the country reconsider its position.
Browne said his government subsequently instructed its ambassador to the United Nations in New York to abstain from the October 28 vote. However, Antigua and Barbuda was ultimately listed as absent. The Prime Minister said he was unaware of why the ambassador did not participate, despite receiving instructions to abstain. Across CARICOM, Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana abstained, while Trinidad and Tobago opposed the resolution. The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, and Suriname supported it, while Dominica and St Lucia were also recorded as absent.
The disclosure came as Browne responded to a caller who expressed frustration over being unable to travel to the United States to visit her seriously ill mother because of difficulties obtaining a replacement visa. The Prime Minister maintained that his government was pursuing a resolution through diplomatic engagement, questioning the justification for the restrictions given Antigua and Barbuda’s historically positive relations with Washington. He also raised the possibility that concerns surrounding the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme could be contributing to the visa difficulties, while acknowledging that he was uncertain about the precise reasons behind the US position.
Browne said his administration had already written to the European Union, expressing its willingness to suspend the citizenship programme while seeking an additional three and a half years to complete a phased withdrawal. He indicated that another communication would be sent to US authorities following the formal suspension he referenced for November 12, with the aim of addressing outstanding concerns. Although he said he understood that the decision originated within the White House, he could not confirm whether President Donald Trump was personally directing the matter. Browne added that diplomatic discussions were continuing, with officials within the US State Department working to assist in resolving the visa issue.
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