Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Antigua and Barbuda will not turn its back on Venezuela despite pressures from the United States for countries in the region to do so.
Speaking Friday evening at a ceremony held aboard the visiting Venezuelan Naval academy training vessel, Ambassador Without Borders, PM Browne recalled that Venezuela helped to stabilize the country’s economy during the 2008-11 global financial crisis with credits of over $500 million through the PetroCaribe Initiative.
“This act literally stabilized the country’s economy which was one of the worst hit by the global crisis. This evening, on behalf of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, I wish to extend our sincerest gratitude to the people of Venezuela for their assistance. Evidently, there are some political challenges as a result of the new policies of the Trump Administration. However, we continue to advocate for stability within the region and for the US to reconsider its policies that will destabilize the region,” he noted.
PM Browne identified the US policy of wanting to punish countries that benefit from Venezuelan oil as one such potentially harmful policy. This policy, the prime minister explained, is ‘deleterious’ to the growth and development of the countries of the region and that Antigua and Barbuda will continue to advocate for changes.
“We are fully aware of the geo-political challenges that Venezuela faces, however, the government and people of Venezuela must be assured that Antigua and Barbuda continues to be a very liable partner and will continue to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Venezuela. We will not be persuaded by the rhetoric or the mis-information and dis-information that are being used to demonise the duly elected Venezuelan government. We will continue to work with Venezuela, Cuba and other like-minded countries to ensure that our hemisphere remains a ‘Zone of Peace’,” he declared.
He described the visit of the vessel as ‘the embodiment’ of the peaceful culture of the government of Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Ambassador Carmen Velasquez stated that in a world as convulsed as things are currently, especially in international relations, the dialogue and the diplomacy of peace are the only weapons her country and her government possesses.
“As everyone knows, Venezuela is a victim of sanctions and measures that only seek to harm our people, including our migrants. In the face of this, with our heads held high and with the dignity of a fighting, hardworking and honest people, who love their country, we will continue forward and overcome obstacles to preserve our achievements. In this regard, President Nicolás Maduro has activated the Productive Independence Plan,” she revealed.
The Ambassador Without Borders vessel has hosted many Antigua and Barbuda officials and ordinary people during its visit to St. John’s which ends on Monday. Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams was among those who visited the vessel during its goodwill tour.
