Antigua withdraws from OAS meeting over exclusion of Venezuela

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Sir Ron Sanders

(PRESS RELEASE)

Antigua and Barbuda yesterday withdrew from participation in the second preparatory meeting for the Summit of the Americas scheduled to be held in Lima, Peru in April.

Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), which is responsible for the preparation of the meeting, explained that Antigua and Barbuda withdrew from the meeting on a point of fundamental principle.

He noted that, at the meeting, the government of Venezuela was excluded from participation without any prior explanation or discussion by the member-states of the OAS at any level.

Ambassador Sanders said that “Venezuela’s exclusion from the second preparatory meeting was curious because it had been a full and constructive participant in the first meeting a few weeks ago”.

The only reason given for Venezuela’s exclusion was that Peru, the host country for the summit, had decided that Venezuela should not be allowed to participate.  

According to Ambassador Sanders, “While the host country traditionally has been able to invite attendance by a high representative of a county that is not a member state, it is not acceptable to reject a sitting member-state of the Organization which plans and executes the meeting”.   

“I want to make it clear that our stand is on behalf of all member states, not Venezuela alone.  If this is allowed to occur, then any member state of the OAS could be excluded from a Summit meeting or a general assembly meeting at the sole behest of the host country”. 

Consequently, Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Head of Mission to the OAS, Joy-Dee Davis, made the following statement before withdrawing from the meeting yesterday.

“Antigua and Barbuda does not know of, nor has it participated in, any official decision of the Summit of the Americas, the OAS General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Foreign Affairs or of the Permanent Council to disenfranchise any active Member State from these meetings. We find this precedent of unilateral exclusion appalling and unacceptable.

Therefore, on that basis and until this situation is rectified, Antigua and Barbuda regrets that it cannot participate in the meeting.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Principle my ass , Antigua nah ha no principle. We sell passports to earn revenue for Christ sake and vote the most corrupt party into power over 6 times. Ron Sanders come from Guyana and no care about Antiguans. He was the one that advised Lester bird to bring in foreigners to vote for alp and disenfranchise Antiguans. Let Venezuela fight their own battles cuz we know they only a fren up because they in the US bad books.

    • I see you are one of those that “but because of a little political gain…spoil our good country name.”

      Feelings change. Principles do not.

      • What good name??????? I never sell no passport or send weapons to apartheid South Africa or tek money from Odebretch. Give VC, Lester and Gaston the credit for that. Google Antigua corruption

        • The amnesia really bad. Just to remind you that is was Hon Baldwin Spencer the former PM who sign and agreement named ALBA which is that we would recivied benefits from Venezuela.

        • Wasn’t it Baldwin Spencer who called on Chavez at the midnight hour to ask for US$50M?? I see you have no loyalty. It was Venezuela who made the first monetary donation post-Irma and who sent their jets to transport the people of Barbuda to Antigua.

  2. When u dumb u just dumb Venezuela has always been there in fact they are the financiers of some of the social programs the UPP love boast about (PDV) for pensioners and now you cussing cause Antigua say we pulling out. Smh well it can’t be hell in know you (Lastone) support the UPP so you have amnesia and don’t remember nothing.

  3. The Government is to be commended for taking this stand based on principle. Any sensible person would agree, whether they are ABLP, UPP or DNA.

  4. Today is Venezuela and tomorrow it will be another member who refuses to kiss the behind of the world’s bully.Injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere and only operating on principles we can stop the advance evil.”it is us today,it will be you tomorrow”Haile Selasie June 1936

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