Gonsalves describes meeting between US President and Caribbean delegation as ‘troubling’

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grendines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has described the recent meeting between United States President Donald Trump and some Caribbean leaders  as “troubling”.

Speaking to reporters here late Saturday, Gonsalves noted that there was no true representation of the Caribbean Community  (CARICOM) as the current chairman  of the regional body, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Timothy Harris was not invited to the meeting. 

He also pointed out that also absent were members of the CARICOM advisory committee including himself, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley .

“None of those persons were invited and for it to be a true CARICOM representation you must at least have the chairman so that any discussion of Venezuela in that context . . . it cuts across the agreement mechanisms that we have put in place,” said Gonsalves who was speaking following a meeting with stakeholders in the regional carrier, LIAT. 

Gonsalves , who refered to the actions of the US concerning Venezuela as “a creeping coup d’etat” against a legitimate government,   said that CARICOM will not fall victim to the entrapping of others.

“We in CARICOM have to be very alive to the mischief that some persons may be up to , to seek to divide us in a manner which we ought not to be divided and therefore reduce the extent of our work.”

On Friday, the Prime Ministers of Jamaica, The Bahamas and St. Lucia as well as the Presidents of the Dominican Republic and Haiti met with Trump to discuss the crisis in Venezuela and energy.

Concerning the Venezuelan Petro Caribe preferential arrangement which has been ceased due to the sanctions imposed on Venezuela, Gonsalves contended that it would be “ridiculous” for Caribbean states to abide by an energy agreement by self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido.

“It is entirely ridiculous that you bring something to an end through sanctions and then the beneficiary politically, Mr Guiado  is going to offer an energy agreement. We look stupid or something?”

“We are not supporting the principles of non-intervention and non-interference and no threats or force or sanctions. We are not holding a position on these things because we have a Petro agreement. We are doing so because of high principle and our commitment to international law.”

Gonsalves revealed that video conference will be held with the Canadian Government acting as an interlocutor for the Caribbean Governments to speak to Guaido and his representatives.

“I just want to keep CARICOM viable and I don’t have to try and make the CARICOM civilization great again we are an alive civilization of legitimacy. We have a history of achievement and we have a trajectory for ennoblement. We are not better than anybody and nobody is better than us and you must not try to divide us,” the Prime Minister said.

3 thoughts on “Gonsalves describes meeting between US President and Caribbean delegation as ‘troubling’

  1. It’s not the first time that Jamaica and some Caribbean government are conspiring with the America to invade a country and over throw the legitimately elected government, so it was in Grenada, and so it will be in Venuzala, the first time it was Former Prim Minister Blinds and now Andrew, I believe that this time most be of the Caribbean leaders are not and will not be forced to take part ,so I can only draw the conclusion that no real benefit came, those who at time participate in the over throw of the late Murice Bishop government and the subsequent murder be of some members of the government,I must also come to the believe that a similar situation between this present government of Andrew Holness and the lackies of Haiti and some other weak leader of those countries of the Caribbean and some Latin American countries,is about to join up with Donald Thrump,to invade Venuzala and over throw the present ,I must tell all of you that to replace the government of that country will not benefit the people of Jamaica nor those in the Caribbean nor the rest of Latin America but only the interest of the USA and can and will bring more hardship to all of us in the Americas,and more bloodshed in the region, remember that if they come for me today they will come for you tomorrow, take heed Andrew Holness and your Caribbean lackies

  2. Ean Walcott it was after the communist killed the legitimate prime minister of Grenada Maurice Bishop that the members of other Caribbean countries joined forces with the USA and returned that country to democracy. And I see no such plan in this meeting. Jamaica is an independent country and needs no caricom approval to meet with any one.

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