No Petro Caribe Supplies Received Under Antigua Labour Party Administration

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Prime Minister Gaston Browne has raised fresh concerns about the unintended consequences of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, warning that such policies risk undermining energy security and economic stability across small Caribbean states.

Speaking on his weekly Pointe FM radio programme, Gaston Browne said that although his administration has never received petroleum products under the PetroCaribe agreement, recent U.S. court filings have inaccurately suggested that Antigua and Barbuda is currently benefiting from Venezuelan oil in defiance of sanctions.

“That is not true,” he stated. “All of the petroleum products received under PetroCaribe were under the former UPP administration. My government has not received a single drop.”

Browne emphasized that while he respects the U.S. government’s right to set its own foreign policy, the spillover effects are hurting vulnerable economies in the region.

“If Venezuela is now in a position to supply petroleum products and credit to us, it would be of major assistance to these countries, especially the smaller ones within the OECS,” he said. “We need a carve-out… otherwise they may just inadvertently destabilize our economies.”

The Prime Minister pointed out that past PetroCaribe assistance had served as a critical economic lifeline during the global financial crisis, allowing Antigua and Barbuda to maintain essential services like electricity and water.

He urged U.S. officials to consider the limited scale of such arrangements in the region and the outsized positive impact they could have on development.

“We’re not a threat. These are small-scale transactions that cannot sustain a regime, but they can make a real difference to us,” he added.

Browne said he is seeking deeper engagement with both U.S. and Venezuelan officials to ensure that Caribbean nations are not “caught in the crossfire” of global power struggles.

“As sovereign countries, we have a right to pursue relationships that serve our people’s best interests,” he said. “The U.S. must understand that policies made in Washington can have unintended consequences in St. John’s.”

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11 COMMENTS

  7. Gaston Browne makes a lot of statements that get scared into the brain of his supporters who then parrots what ever he says.
    He can say that Antigua gets no fuel from Petro Caribe. So PDV Cab is on WIOC Board of Directors.
    So why are they there?
    Tell that to the US State Department as well as the attorneys at Boise Shieller LLP who is on the case.

  8. @Tamika J: Why do you post under many different names? What is your purpose for using 6+ different names and posting one after another? I want to know the truth! Explain please!

  9. So suddenly Antigua don’t buy Oil from Venezuela? What a joke..The last Oil Storage tank was built by who? Venezuelans..Lmao..This is Funny….Antigua can buy Oil from Guyana, Mexico..So stop crying…Why we don’t support Guyana?

  10. It is sad when I ready so much ignorant from some of the readers here. First I was waiting to hear from the idiot called Audley Phillip. Because he likes to run his mouth without knowing things. But yes the PM disclosed that under the ABLP government Venezuela was placed under USA Sanction list. I have at the time commented on it. Because the UPP had in plan to buy WIOC with the money that Chavez would have loaned them and then sell 51% to PDVSA. That means Venezuela would have a controlling interest in our WIOC. If that would have happened Antigua would not be able to buy oil from Venezuela and therefore we would be ion a very bad place. Presently PDVSA is a 25% shareholder of WIOC and the Chinese company 24%. The government smartly kept 51%, of which they diverted 10% to locals. Once again because of the sanctions Antigua cannot purchase oil from Venezuela and they cannot make payment to them either. Now can you imagine Antigua owes Venezuela hundreds of millions of dollars but is prohibited to pay them. It is because of this situation the smart Gaston Browne government was able to ask Maduro for a write of. I believe they got US$250million of the debt written off. Let me make a quick summary iof the debt. But then again the leader of the opposiition should be privy iof the debt, since he is the chair of the Public Accounts Committee. And the audited accounts are laid on the table in parliament every year. But I guess he is not interested in those figures. Anyway, Antigua per contract, which was negotiated by the UPP. in particular the Ambassador Joan Underwood. Which I give kudos to for signing us in to the Petro Carib Agreement. The agreement oblige us to purchase at least on shipment a month. I was told the value of a shipment is at least US$25million. We started purchasing fuel in 2009. So from 2009 to 2014 is five years. 5 times 12 is 60 shipments of $25million is US$1,500 million. Of this we have paid at least 50% that is therefore about $750 milllion. The agreement also let us enjoy a moratorium of 2years. Interest is at 2% per annum. We have therefore not paid off any substantial amount as yet before the USA sanction them, so that they cannot receive any money from the fuel they supplied. Now the USA is getting further and even putting tariffs on those that buy oild from Venezuela. I could think of countries like China and Cuba to do so. The Caribbean is in the grip of the USA and would not dare to defy any USA sanction. Look at the Saction that was placed on the Alfa Nero. The ship laid abandoned here for two years. No one came forward to claim it.
    Antiguans are still benefitting from the Petro Carib deal. I see of you asking how do we benefit from it. Wel when we purchased the fueld from Venezuela, we sold it to WIOC. WIOC had to pay the government within a week for the fuel. Which means the government got 100% paid for the fuel and then paid PDVSA only 50% or sometimes 60%. The rest of the money was used to fund social programs like Peoples Benefit Program, Utility Voucher Program and many others. The funds are invested on the RSM. and in government Bonds. Ambassador Underwood had it well thought out. But ofcourse the disapline of Lovell was not their. When the government was strapped for cash they used PDV money to pay for things and claimed they were social programs. What they didn’t realize was that the books of the company would eventualy show a big loss, as the revenue from the interest was not enough to cover the expenses that occured. On the books therefore we came to a point that the books were showing a negative Retained earning. And eventually a negative equity. This meant that bookwise the company was Bankrupt. Although it had so much money on cash and in investments. Because afterall the money was not theirs. It was PDVSA’s money. And interest was accrued every year. But as I said the PM was able to get at least $250 million of that debt written off. And Antiguans continue to benefit from the moneis owed to PDVSA through the two programs I mentioned before. meanwhile Venezuela has problems feeding their own people. All because one country that is above ALL decides who can eat and we will starve. That is the way of the world we live in. Soon we will be told whether or not we can eat or starve. Enjoy living under this World Order.

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