The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has congratulated the Government and People of Barbados on the country’s Fifty-Fifth Anniversary of Independence and its transition to Republican status. CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett’s congratulatory message to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said the theme for the Celebration “Rebuilding A Nation, Embracing Our Heritage” was most apt given that Barbados has chosen this moment in its history to shift its trajectory and become a Republic. “This opens a new chapter in the country’s development,” the Secretary-General’s message said. “Barbadians can face the future with renewed pride as this transition closes the circle of independence,”