CMC- St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, on Tuesday, praised the position taken by his Barbadian counterpart Mia Mottley as some regional leaders prepare to meet in Jamaica with United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo.
Mottley, speaking at a weekend ceremony to honour the late Barbados prime minister and regionalist, Errol Barrow, said Bridgetown had not agreed to accept the invitation to the talks and warned about efforts to divide the 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM.
“As chairman of CARICOM, it is impossible for me to agree that my Foreign Minister should attend a meeting with anyone to which members of CARICOM are not invited. If some are invited and not all, then it is an attempt to divide this region,” she said.
Gonsalves, speaking at a news conference here, said while the United States had every right to invite whoever it wanted to the talks with Pompeo, who arrives later this evening in Kingston, “I have a strong support for Mia Mottley where she said she couldn’t, as chairman of CARICOM accept an invitation to go where some countries are invited and some are not invited.
“I think that’s the correct position because it would appear as though you are dividing CARICOM. Having said that it is the right of every sovereign country to invite who they want to invite and for those sovereign countries to go,” he said.
Gonsalves recalled that last year, President Donald Trump had invited some regional government leaders to Miami for talks adding that he had no idea as to why Washington had adopted that position regarding the Caribbean.
“All I know is this we are functioning in a straightforward manner within the four walls of the United Nations and we are friends of the United States of America. We have friendly relations, but I reiterate this that there is a section of the political leadership in the United States, which seems to think that if you are not ‘yes’, ‘yes’, ‘yes’ all the time with everything they say or do, somehow …you with us or against us,” Gonsalves said, adding, “well I am not a leader who can accept that”.
Gonsalves told reporters that while SVG and the United States enjoy good friendly relations, the section in Washington bent on dusting off the Monroe Doctrine of the early 19th century “and given new clothing, which will give a right to interfere and intervene wherever they would like in the hemisphere and to weaponise trade and weaponise the banking system.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines says no to those things. Not because I am your friend that I must be subservient to you because I am small. I am your friend it does not mean that I must be slavish to you because you are powerful.
“I and the government, we accept the tenants of the United Nations, equality of states, respect for sovereignty and independence. Non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of a country save and except if there is a right of self-defence … or any form approved by the Security Council”.
Pompeo, who is visiting several countries in Latin America, said his two-day visit to Kingston will allow to meet with “many Caribbean leaders to discuss how we can all work together to promote our common democratic values and prosperity for all of our people,” adding “I’m looking forward to a fantastic set of meetings”.
Pompeo said he would also participate in a round table with the foreign ministers of Bahamas, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia.
Another issue on the table will be the current situation in Venezuela as Washington continues to lead the efforts to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office in the South American country in support of the Opposition Leader Juan Guaido..
At their summit in St. Lucia last July, CARICOM leaders agreed to maintain their position of non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela and agreed also “that mediation-related activities would be continued to be pursued by the Prime Ministers of St Kitts and Nevis, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
Gonsalves said while he was unaware of the reasons why the United States government invites some countries and not others, “what I do know United States of America has a position in support of Guaido as the president of Venezuela and St. Vincent and the Grenadines says no.
“[I] don’t see how Guaido can be imposed as president. I don’t see how United States of America can seize US$25 billion of Venezuela’s money and then take three or four billion out of it and say you sending some humanitarian aid, not through the United Nations system but you politicising humanitarian aid,” Gonsalves said.
He said that the humanitarian aid going to Syria has the backing of the United Nations, adding “we don’t support unilateralism for any entity that believes it can be a hegemon.
“We believe in multilateral consensus and we support international law. We are friends of all and we strive for a better world,” Gonsalves said, adding, “I don’t know because of the Venezuela issue we have this difference, I don’t know if it is because Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines presumptuous enough to say we not supporting [Luis] Almargo to be the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS)”.
The two Caribbean countries have named the Ecuadorian diplomat and former president of the United Nations General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, as a candidate to oppose Almargo, who is seeking re-election in March.
Apart from Almagro she will also come up against Hugo de Zela, Peru’s Ambassador to the United States.
“CARICOM as a whole has said we are not supporting Almargo,” Gonsalves said, noting that Washington has sent out a document urging support for the incumbent.
“If they supporting Almargo and I ain’t supporting Almargo, we have to have a different candidate,” Gonsalves said, adding that he is very “open and transparent” in my dealing.
“I don’t know if by doing that (inviting some countries) they are looking votes for Almargo but that group is divided because a number of them don’t want Almargo, some of them may want the Peruvian ambassador, but I happen to think that most of the CARICOM countries that I know of support the candidacy of Maria Fernanda Espinosa,” he said.
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What should we say of China and Venezuela with their loans and other handouts? Isn’t that an attempt to divide also or has it long past an attempt to one which has actually divided the region.
Give me a break. Whether is its an allegiance to USA, Venezuela, or China at the end of the day each island in the Caribbean has always had a self serving interest in seeking an allegiance to a foreign power. So because we were not invited to this “dinner” there is a hue and cry!
Long live the USA. That is my allegiance!
Your “allegiance”? You should respect your nation, your people, and our leadership. We are not puppets for anybody. We are friends to all and enemies of none. As Maurice Bishop used to declare: “We are in nobody’s back yard”, and “We ain’t their yard fowl, either.” Our allegiance should be to one another, not to foreign powers.
Wha that? Maurice Bishop said we not in anybody backyard? Lol lol lol lol where was he when he said that? Not in Cuba backyard??? Lol lol
No, Maurice Bishop was NOT in anybody’s back yard, including Cuba. He also insisted that we are nobody’s “yard fowl” either. Tim Hector reminded us of these things over and over again. They are gone now, but their mantle has fallen upon RALPH Gonsolves, Gaston Brown, Prime Minister Skerritt, and a host of ordinary men, women, and youth throughout the whole region., and they are found in every island and every political party.
You really think we are not “puppets” with China controlling the strings? China owns the airport and the port. They are building far more than an “embassy” in Marble Hill. Since there are roughly a thousand Chinese including intelligence officers spying on the USA living at Morne Daniel in Dominica I have to wonder if you really think that same scenario is not going to happen here. That site will be their control center and trust me they are extremely racist against black people and have their own agenda which is for China and China alone…not us! Antigua and its’ people are nothing more than a means to an end for these people and they will destroy this island and our marine life very quickly…we can only hope that since absolutely nothing for the Chinese is checked that they do not bring their killer flu here which will kill hundreds. The government’s allegiance is to money for themselves and they will align themselves with anyone who can fulfill the greed for seven digits in the banks here and abroad. So, as ‘Well Well’ said my allegiance is also to the USA, UK and the FREE democratic World not communist dictators!
The Art Of War, is shadowed by The Art Of Deception!
Interesting scenarios; however, Chinese are all over America and have being there for Centuries, to the point where they have many jurisdictions, named Chinatown. I am quite sure, some form of espionage is already taking place through these jurisdictions right on American soil.
What of the billions owed to China by America?
America’s present President and his family is doing billions of dollars, in Trade deals. Does the name Ivanka rings a bell?
The Chinese own large chunks of Real Estate all across America, besides their Chinatowns.
Yes, the Caribbean and Antigua should pay attention, however, the Trojan Horse already entered the gates.
Britain, Europe, and America knew of the Chinese meticulous march on the West for decades, and since, Britain is suppose to be in charge to certain degree, of her Quasi Independent Nations external affairs, why didn’t Britain do something, to stymie the March Of The Dragon?
Guess what, Britain and America don’t give one, muchless two phucks, about the PAWNS, us, in the Universal War Game of Chess!
Boss you are really gone.. Their killer flu to kill us. Remind me again who the historical record proves was doing testing on black people? Who supported the pro apartheid south African government and provided them with arms? Look I will admit that the Chinese are human and have their own ambitions. But Look at Haiti and you will get a good idea of how the US sees partnerships these days.
Would you lend money to someone that doesn’t like you or support you?. China and Venezuela give loans to countries friendly to them. That is not about dividing the Caribbean. Those not in support of China get loans from Taiwan. Antigua has been with the One China policy from day one.
And they get loans and don’t repay. Look at Venezuela and it’s current state yet we borrow and have the audacity to request debt cancellation and get it. Is this being friendly or exploitation?
It’s called socialist solidarity, and that’s a good thing.
Its pointing out to them our current economic reality, would you prefer we pretend, build up their hopes and then don’t deliver? Better they give us some legroom and get some vs strangle us and get nothing
It shows you that your friends no matter how poor will still give you a helping hand. Venezuela by the way is not a poor country . Its the USA policies that have brought both Venezuela and Cuba to the economic disaster they find themselves in. They have frozen billions of dollars of Venezuela all over the world. Venezuela cannot even sell oil and or receive any payment for their oil. And the same for Cuba. That is such a Gross violation of a country’s sovereignty. So its one country in the world that decides who can eat and who can’t. Cause I don’t she any other country in the world with such powers.
Free to invite yes, but doesnt mean attendance/participation.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is a progressive, labour, and social democratic government, in the tradition of the Black Democratic Socialist philosophy of Vere Cornwall Bird and our founding comrades. Boh parties have been touched by that progressive ideology, and Gaston Brown leads us forward in solidarity with all who envision an even GREATER CARIBBEAN. Again, the prophetic words of our dear Maurice Bishop: FORWARD EVER! BACKWARD NEVER! He is dead, yet he speaketh.
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