Quotable Caribbean – Mia Mottley, Prime Minister, Barbados

“In 2026, I cannot believe we are being asked to respond to the suggestion that the descendants of the enslaved should pay for the machinery that oppressed them. The Caribbean does not owe Britain for slavery, for colonial extraction or for laws that treated African people as chattel. We are not asking for charity. We are asking for justice and history itself has already told the truth. Those who wish to speak on this matter should first take the time to read enough history to understand it. The Caribbean will not be used as a prop for anyone’s politics. We know who we are, we know what was done, and we will continue to speak for repair with clarity and dignity.” — Mia Mottley, Prime Minister, Barbados