By Amb. Lionel Hurst
A piece of rubbish, written by an unidentified UPP supporter, repeats the same untruths and the barely-concealed political motives, dressed-up as reasoning; it defies the logic which national success has vitiated. The article reveals envy, the inability to appeal to reason by reliance on emotion, the use of nasty names and a complete defiance of measurable truth.
“Antiguans and Barbudans are being locked out of the world in real time”, the writer begins. The “world”, it appears, is the United States and the proclamation issued by the US President on 16 December 2025. That the US State Department partially reversed that decision by assuring our diplomats that Antigua and Barbuda passport holders with valid B1-B2, F, M, J visas will continue to enter the US, is completely left out of the 1,000 word diatribe. Why conceal this truth? Because if it is included, his argument about the Prime Minister and wrong choices would fall apart.
“The CIP as a convenient scapegoat” is another of his headline quotes that falls against the truth. The Proclamation issued by the US White House speaks to Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship By Investment Program and the absence of a residency requirement, which the US concludes imperils its own “national security”.
Unless the writer knows more than the US State Department and the US White House, then he is speculating. He misleads his audience by pretending to know more when he is doing what the UPP does all the time: invent its own truth.
When our diplomats provided the evidence that the residency basis was inaccurate, the US State Department softened its approach and returned validity to visa holders. Of course, to mention this fact would render his fallacious argument null and void because the US Government specifically cited the CIP as the only reason for its actions.
“The Pernicious Partnership” is his third and essentially the most specious of his arguments. He argues that Antigua and Barbuda’s friendship with Venezuela is the root cause of the US action.
By making friends with Venezuela, and by accepting assistance from that Caribbean/South American country, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has incurred the ire of the US Government. He mentions PDVSA, the ownership component of WIOC, and ends with an assault on the Honourable Maria Browne. The misogynist attacks have not ceased since the Minister has displayed incomparable competence, high integrity, and imperiled their campaign contributions by lifting the blanket on certain corrupt practices.
Venezuela’s friendship with Antigua and Barbuda goes back more than 50 years when Sir George Walter, the Premier in 1974, sought and received millions of dollars in loans to rescue a bankrupt LIAT.
When Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer saw collapse of the economy of Antigua and Barbuda in 2009, he sought and received US$50 million in loans by way of a telephone call to President Chavez. The generous agreement to reduce the cost of petroleum to US$100 per barrel by crediting the amounts exceeding $100 to an open loan that goes towards social programs, is generosity of the highest order. Sovereign states decide which countries are their friends and of which to be wary.
The writer’s prediction of “an economic spiral ahead” and “a final reckoning” are failed predictions which the UPP suggested would happen when personal income tax, introduced in 2005, was eliminated in 2015. The economy has grown on average of 6% each year—except when a hurricane battered the nation.
They hate progress, opposing an UWI campus, opposing hotel development in Barbuda, opposing hotel construction on beach-front properties in Antigua. They would fail as a government, for they fail as an opposition. They are capable of destruction and nothing more. The ABLP has demonstrated excellence in leadership, in the past and present. Envy and hate cannot be elements in striving. They are inherently destructive.
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Well said
Retired Hurst you seem to be idle
This rebuttal is hilarious. For a document that came out this morning and the fact that the government has taken time to post multiple rebuttals within hours of its distribution speaks to how fast the guilty will try to cover up the truth and hide in plain sight. There have been many other documents that have been forwarded that never warranted a reply according to your government, but this one that identifies risks and truth and is NOT tied to UPP has gotten a windstorm of rebuttals. How funny. That’s okay keep believing Gassy dread Sue when he says there is nothing to worry about and it will never happen because that worked out so well with the US Visa ban. Speaking on that issue, the ban was not modified it was merely explained to the officials of what it meant. If you read it for yourself you can see the exceptions were there from the initial release. No adjustments were made they just want you to think they were.
Plus didn’t this guy retire!! Why is he even replying
Max go sit your ass down. The dog have no use for your old ass. You were used like a condom
Lie- no- hell, they have done you an injustice. They waited until you got sick to retire you and then quickly dug you out to do the usual for which you’re so notorious. Your organization is a heartless one which discards it’s sick and helpless and only uses them in shows to drum up support. Your are the latest on the list after Lester and Robin. Why are you even here after being chastised for your blunders and speaking out of turn? I have read, and still have a copy of your piece; ‘The Thirteen Sins Of Gaston Browne Against The Antigua Labour Party’ by Lionel Hurst. Everyone should have a read. Do you still stand behind your story?
Remember Lionel ‘Nikki Phoenix Retire You’ Hurst, alligator 🐊 shouldn’t call hog 🦏 long mout’. Perlease!
You can complain and cry out as much as you want – even though the ABLP have governed badly now for coming up to 12 years now – but still it’s UPP’s fault. Go figure!
The opposition are there to oppose, and the ABLP are supposed to … bwoi, I don’t even know what dem good for!
Poor Max (Christopher Lee) Hurst, you probably miss the weekly spotlight of reading the Cabinet Notes, you were used to push the lies and half-truths of the Administration, please sccept your time is up.They now need someone younger and more vibrant. Just Rest In Peace
@ Rovi
I would love to have a read of the 13 sins. It might also be a good idea to remind Gaston what they are. I heard someone mentioned it before. Please, please, send it to ANR and let us see if they publish it
I’m sorry I’m missed the source Hurst is referencing, is the person unidentified in that as well or from this end it’s important to know how it’s a UPP supporter.
CIP is indeed cited as the cause no reason to not believe that and to be honest the US would have said Venezuela support like they did with Cuban nurses but the fact that was ended abruptly without answer would create conspiracies, UPP allocates sometimes play into conspiracies which I hate but it’s not really solely a problem with them.
I personally don’t like the blame of UPP for the collapse of economy when it was a global recession.
Pointing the ending of personal income tax ending and saying the economy rises 6% as a response to economic spiral without know the full context it’s hard to tell the original intent but realistically I doubt anyone would say if would kill the economy but instead cause financial inequality which will see the upperclass getting richer while the middle class gets smaller and poorer while the lower class getting improved or worst off.
I don’t know what was the talking point against UWI but saying a university and beach front hotels are progressing is crazy I don’t want to live in an Antigua where there is a hotel and literally every beach I’m not a fan of our Dutch disease for tourism land is limited and getting back land that has be sold is a massive pain no more beaches should be sold the little land we have can be easily plotted and designated for personal homes and businesses. Whether we have a communal land system like Barbuda which allows everyone to get land to little or no coast just be a national and apply for one.or integrate it with the housing programs we have. Side note it’s funny to me they announced new 100k homes saying it’s a new price point when they already had that it was actually cheaper when It was before but inflation not too worried about that just thought they acting like it’s brand new only now for marketing was funny only thing changed is the design and website. Back the main point land use can be managed way better I get not everyone wil immediately agree on the land management system to use but I’m sure we can agree on selling out all the beaches and lands to a few people isn’t good for the majority.
Is this the same eunuch that once wrote about the 14 sins of Gaston Browne, before turning around and brown nosing for his supper?
Why would anyone listen too, or read anything
lie-no-hell has say or write?
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