:Stop maligning Antigua and Barbuda to promote your selfish political interests.”
That is the message from E. P. “Chet” Greene, the Foreign Minister of Antigua and
Barbuda, to former Puerto Rican legislator, José Aponte Hernández.
The Minister stated, “In a recent outburst, José Aponte Hernández launched
unfounded and false allegations against the sovereign nation of Antigua and
Barbuda, claiming that our infrastructure developments are part of a military
strategy by China, particularly alleging that our airport is used for the landing and
take-off of Communist Chinese bombers.”
“His statement is not only baseless, but it also appears crafted to promote his long-
held and unsuccessful desire to annex Puerto Rico to the United States as a state.”
:Antigua and Barbuda is a world-renowned tourism destination. Our airport and
seaport welcome many of the world&’s leading airlines and cruise ships, bearing
hundreds of thousands of US citizens annually, including officers of the US
Embassy. Not one of these entities or individuals has ever corroborated Mr.
Aponte’s outrageous and highly malicious claims.”
“These assertions by Mr. Aponte are grounded in a sensationalist article written by
a known ardent anti-China advocate in the publication Newsweek. Aponte
demonstrated a profound disregard for the truth by not seeking to ascertain the
facts before uttering his falsehoods against a neighbouring country, thereby calling
into question his credibility as a responsible leader in Puerto Rico.”
” I doubt that Mr. Aponte will be decent enough to apologize but, as the Foreign
Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, I am compelled to demand that he cease using
unfounded and libelous statements against our sovereign nation. We urge him to
focus on constructive and truthful discourse, rather than propagating falsehoods
that serve no purpose other than to promote his political ambitions at the expense
of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
“Our country remains committed to stability and prosperity in the region, fostering
relationships based on respect and mutual benefit. We stand strong against any
efforts to undermine our nation through deceit and manipulation and will continue
to uphold our values of democracy and freedom.”
