Missing Persons Hysteria ‘Unfair and Exaggerated,’ PM Says
Lead: Responding to foreign media coverage, Browne pushed back against claims that Antigua and Barbuda faces a crisis of missing persons, calling the coverage “hysterical” and politically charged.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has criticised what he described as exaggerated and politically motivated narratives surrounding missing persons in Antigua and Barbuda.
Speaking on Pointe FM on Saturday, Browne dismissed recent reports in Newsday and other outlets highlighting the disappearance of a Trinidadian national, arguing that there is no evidence the individual went missing in Antigua. He described the coverage as part of an effort to malign the country.
“We hope that the missing Trinidadian young man is safe, but there is no evidence that he went missing in Antigua,” Browne said, noting that the individual in question had a known history of travelling clandestinely by boat and working on illegal marijuana farms.
The Prime Minister accused “deracinated opposition elements” of teaming up with foreign actors to smear the twin-island state. “They are trying to create fear within the society and tear down the country. It’s not about me—it’s about all of us,” he said.
He also pushed back on claims of organ trafficking and human harvesting, calling such suggestions “absolute ignorance” and “utter foolishness.” Browne cited his own family’s experience with missing persons to stress his empathy but insisted that the issue is being sensationalised.
“There has always been a background level of disappearances,” he said, adding that several recent cases are more accurately classified as homicides under investigation.
Browne revealed that the government had recently located a woman missing for over 30 years and is arranging her return to Antigua from Venezuela. “We are bringing her home next Saturday. She was presumed dead, but she’s alive and well.”
The Prime Minister urged residents to remain vigilant but to avoid panic. “There is no crisis. What we are seeing is a deliberate attempt to destabilise and defame our country,” he said.
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Madness to r next level. Gaston go sleep
Is Gaston right in his head? How many people have just vanished without a trace in the last 12 months alone in our 108 square miles? The better question is, why haven’t you called in the FBI and the Scotland Yard as yet. Are we afraid of all who will be implicated?
Pure madness gaston go sleep
Wooooaaaa!!!!
It is getting out of hand.
Something is really rattling your feathers.
You need help before it gets out of control!!!!!
So Mr PeeeeeeeeeM, the recently located woman who had been MISSING for thirty years wasn’t missing??????
Are you collective?
So because she was lactated recently she wasn’t missing for all the years???
Dr Joseph, T. please intervene.
It is quite easy to classify cases of “missing persons ” as unfair and exaggerated until a loved one or family member goes missing. One person missing is one too many, and whether they are missing or murdered, the state cannot give an account of them and there are several such recent cases.
The family tragedy of having a child or a relative missing cannot be diluted by numbers of any kind. These stories are not flukes. They are real and it is seriously damaging how citizens feel about their safety and security and that of their children and other relatives. People are scared and there are reasons to be. It is sad to suggest that the situation is being exaggerated when the figures speak for themselves.
I’ve been living here for almost 6 years now. And honestly, one of the things that stood out to me was the number of missing persons here. Another is the number of random break ins of homes and burglaries of business places. There was a period where women’s homes were bring broken into which ended with them raped. Now I’m seeing a new trend of stolen and missing vehicles being added to the list.
Rather than trying to make things appear that all is well here, deal with the issues, because they are real. No country is speared of crimes, none. But don’t ignore them and say it’s a lie, deal with them instead, because it will only get worst.
Please call elections right now. you’re actually psychotic, delusional and shouldn’t be in public much less in office. Gaston Browne please seek medical attention
Tell the country how the arms of government found a missing woman in Venezuela after 30 years. Give the credit to whoever found the woman because no investigator was looking for anyone in Venezuela.
Gaston me bwoy, you are doing a better job of defaming the Nation than the deracinated opposition elements you talk about. Remember the prerequsite of a charlatan is to fake sincerity
Everything for him is politically motivated! Honorable PM, it’s only the people who know it can feel it.
There are so many problems in the country which the Honorable PM just wants us to his our heads in the sand. He truly believes that he can tell the masses how to think. He attempts to convince us that we live in the perfect state but also all things are gilded!
It is quite easy to classify cases of “missing persons ” as unfair and exaggerated until you have a loved one or family member that goes missing. One person missing is one too many, and whether they are missing or murdered, the state cannot give an account of them and there are several such recent cases.
The family tragedy of having a child or a relative missing cannot be diluted by numbers of any kind. These stories are not flukes. They are real and it is seriously damaging how citizens feel about their safety and security and that of their children and other relatives. People are scared and there are reasons to be. It is sad to suggest that the situation is being exaggerated when the numbers speak for themselves.
Today is the 11th of May, lets count how many more people are going missing without a trace within the next 3 months ? This could be your mother, father, brother, child or lover.
Gaston Browne won’t get Scotland Yard or the FBI to intervene in missing persons unless his young son or daughter goes missing.without a trace.
Instead the prime Minister to aid the situation with missing persons he bash it calling it, *hysterical and politically charged* while people are hoping their family is still alive and will come home one day
The question is: who will be the next missing person?
Today is the 11th of May, lets count how many more people are going missing within the next 3 months ?
Gaston: What would you and Maria do.If one of your children went missing for over 6 months and could not be found.Would you and your wife be okay with that? Antigua is 108 sq. Miles for ever. Based on the size of the land.There are too many persons missing and cannot be found.
Verbal diarrhea again, when will he cease. Please bring back night soil for this idiot who parades as the head of this country.
All right thinking Antiguans, the time might be right for a petition to force this punk from office.
But if their was no reason to panic as you stated that there is no organ harvesting on antigua, you been an extrovert said on air over your radio and print ANR paper that’s lots of wealthy tourist are in hotels waiting for medical operations, I assume you hats at these private hospital because the government own barely have toilet paper and air-conditioning, so must not the nation be scared? You all will tip toe around particular private hospital proprietor because he is a comrade. And we don’t even know if that Chinese embassy with those two floors bunker underground could have taken these people and have them their using them as they please.
Well well well Jesus take the wheel of this country please. How can the PM sit down and say something like this? There is so so many people missing in Antigua, young people and even elderly people. So how you as the PM can behave so lackadaisical about this horrible horrible thing that is taking place in this country? HOW much more have to go missing?
Yes Antigua is a place of plenty missing persons and it’s high time you do something about. That is the type of person you all go out to vote for, someone that don’t care if your children and love ones go missing, never to be seen again.
So many persons have gone missing without a trace and yet still the p.m says there’s no crisis. What has to happen for it to be deemed a crisis sir? Enquiring minds would like to know. Or are they in Venezuela?