(CMC): Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda will not turn its back on Venezuela despite pressures from the United States for countries in the region to do so.
Browne, speaking at a ceremony on board the visiting Venezuelan Naval academy training vessel, Ambassador Without Borders, said that Caracas had helped stabilise Antigua and Barbuda’s economy during the 2008-2011 global financial crisis with credits of over EC$500 million (one EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) through the PetroCaribe Initiative.
Under the PetroCaribe Initiative that was established in 2005, Venezuela offered concessional oil to Caribbean countries, allowing them to pay for a portion of their oil imports over a 20-year period, with the remaining portion repaid at a low interest rate.
“This act literally stabilised the country’s economy which was one of the worst hit by the global crisis. On behalf of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, I wish to extend our sincerest gratitude to the people of Venezuela for their assistance.
“Evidently, there are some political challenges as a result of the new policies of the Trump administration.
However, we continue to advocate for stability within the region and for the US to reconsider its policies that will destabilise the region,” Browne told the ceremony, adding that Washington wants to punish countries that benefit from Venezuelan oil as one such potentially harmful policy.
He said this policy is “deleterious” to the growth and development of the countries of the region and that Antigua and Barbuda will continue to advocate for changes.
“We are fully aware of the geopolitical challenges that Venezuela faces. However, the government and people of Venezuela must be assured that Antigua and Barbuda continues to be a very liable partner and will continue to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Venezuela.
“We will not be persuaded by the rhetoric or the misinformation and dis-information that are being used to demonise the duly elected Venezuelan government.
We will continue to work with Venezuela, Cuba and other like-minded countries to ensure that our hemisphere remains a ‘Zone of Peace’,” Browne said, describing the visit of the vessel as ‘the embodiment’ of the peaceful culture of the government of Venezuela.
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Ok me understand Gaston politics here on the international stage, he is positing as a runaway political leader supporting Venezuela that he become attractive to the USA administration to woo him over their side as a political stooge, then he can bargain for protection fron the court prosecution of the alpha Nero and CIP visa cancellation debacle thus saving his political career in Antigua.
Is the Prime Minister blind or ignorant or incompetent or dishonest or a foul or tyrannical or a dictator or all of the above and more for publicly supporting a dictatorship and putting the small and United Islands of Antigua and Barbuda into this situation especially with a leader that even the blind can see operates as a dictator, in which clear signs are available of substantial issues in the election that he stated elected him?
Why is the PM Browne so foolish? The statements made here should not have been made but others could have been used to simply thank the Venezuelan government, without encouraging their other conduct that is contrary to democracy and peace.
Is Venezuela the same government going after Guyana for their territory and threatening another country?
Why would PM Browne do this ignorance? Stay neutral idiot. Everytime he speaks he support China, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and anything that is Anti-democracy PM Browne seem to support.
Where is ABLP’s strategist? Really not competent to be on the world’s stage.
Their system are honestly more democratic than us since it’s broken down into multiple level, Barbuda’s council is model after their system. In fact one could argue that Barbuda a socialist state in some aspects, such as communal land and public vote on land development over 40mil, whose system are unique in my opinion and you should actually be inform about the system and them before stating that they are anti-democratic based of the opinion you been told by western states which see them as enemies so obviously they don’t have good opinions about them and have funded/fought a war in/against everyone of them.
So can you calmly breakdown why is each country you listen based of factual information?
So Browne begging now?
I’m curious to see what concrete measures Antigua and Barbuda will take to support Venezuela.
@my way of helping FACTS!!!!!!
At least I’m glad this joker acknowledged that when UPP was in office, the world was in one of its worst economic crisis in history..I’m glad he understands that.
ABLP took over in 2014 when the global crisis had dissapated, and money was flowing like the Jordan River for the next 6 years until COVID, and this man squandered all the manner that was coming from heaven.
Now here he is sucking up to dictators, and looking like a damn fool.
This is what you get Antigua, a man who stands with dictators, because he himself wants to become one and rule Antigua until the day he dies.
This man does not believe in democracy, and he’s dead set on trying to silence the voices that speak out against him with his frivolous lawsuits.
The scourge of Antigua is at it again.
And no one in his party have a spine to stand up to him with his foolishness.
So what if Venezuela help out the Caribbean with cheaper prizes?
For this man, everyone that comes bearing gifts are his friends.. 😂
This man has shown that he can be easily bought out, and in no doubt have been bought out. Look at the friends he keeps.
Uuumm. I warned you all.
They already killed his friend Asot.. y’all better take heed.