Regional governments, not individual Caribbean leaders, are being unfairly targeted over recent U.S. visa sanctions, according to attorney-at-law Anthony Astaphan, who says the measures overlook years of reforms already carried out by Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.
Astaphan pushed back against opposition accusations aimed at Prime Ministers Gaston Browne and Roosevelt Skerrit, saying critics have ignored a regional process that began in 2023 to tighten oversight of Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP).
He said the five Eastern Caribbean CIP countries have worked jointly with international partners, including the United States and the European Union, on security, anti-money laundering and compliance concerns. Those talks, he said, led to agreed principles and a detailed framework establishing a regional CBI Regulatory Authority.
Astaphan said the reforms—covering tougher due diligence, clearer residency rules and restrictions on name changes—were passed into law, with Antigua and Barbuda acting first. He added that matters cited in the U.S. proclamation had already been addressed before the sanctions were issued.
He said the visa action is part of a wider policy affecting several countries and should not be portrayed as evidence of wrongdoing by Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica alone.
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Ass ta Phan is people such as you why we are singled out, all the brains you people think you have America no trust nutten are u tell them, and because of that Antigua and Dominica is in deeper shit
Had to speak about the opposition? Opposition didn’t sanction us, the US did. Tell the PM to come clean with that. But instead they are taking refugees to add with the criminals we already have here. Hmmm
Opposition lying for political mileage as usual.
This sounds like damage control, not transparency. I mean, the U.S. didn’t wake up one morning and randomly pick Antigua and Dominica. If everything was done right, then why are we being sanctioned in the first place? Every time something goes wrong, it’s always said to be “misinformation” and “ignorance.”
Everyone knows they are not singularly targeted, we are focused on why they are targeted. Please focus, each country was targeted for a reason and ABLP made Antigua and Barbuda became a target because of the ABLP PM Gaston Browne constant attacking of the US government on behalf of those authoritarian and dictators in which he says he is benefiting more from (politically and otherwise).
You astaphan is paid to make it sound as though Gaston is not deleterious to the nation and that he did nothing to caused Antiguans hardship, it started with us losing the Canadian visa free travel, astaphan are you saying Antiguans are dumb and need white supervision so once Gaston put a Caucasian looking person to speak to us thats is?
Asterphan the attack Dog is now assigned to damage control
The dishonest ones claim A&B and Dominica were the only ones targeted for visa restrictions. Most Caribbean islands have recently faced visa sanctions. Some countries have had their elected officials have their visa’s revoked (Not Antigua). Most of us now face immigration bans. Antiguans were known to abuse visitors visas and use it as a method to migrate to the US. A UPP MP, S Bowen, recently confirmed, via his article in OMG, our breaking of US immigration law in an attempt to try to garner the US dream as a cultural thing. Donald Trump has long made clear he sees no value in persons from what he calls third world (sh***) countries. The only exception he has made has been for white South Africans who he recently opened wide for without any real due due diligence. Its telling seeing Antiguan’s attacking their government for the actions taken by a man who globally is now being called insane, due to his new colonial push (see Europe condemns Trump ‘new colonialism” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvg2r32rnno). Onion words now echo with that song written by Prince Ramsey “stand up for Antigua”
Bwoi mi haffi laugh, 🤣
I knew it wouldn’t take long before the opposition party would be mentioned. In fact by the time I read the second paragraph, I didn’t bother reading the rest of it – it’s the ABLP’S playbook.
One fine day my fellow Antiguans, this government will take responsibility for their numerous and calamitous mistakes. As one of my favourite Caribbean sayings goes towards this incompetent ABLP:
“You cyaa try to bury a man an lef out he foot”
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