Buenos Aires, 25 January (EFE).- The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, assured this Tuesday that “size does not matter” and that his country has the “capacity” and “necessary leadership” to take over this pro tempore presidency of Celac at such a difficult time for the region.
At the conclave’s final press conference, Gonsalves responded to a question from EFE that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was also “the smallest country in history to have held the presidency of the United Nations Social and Economic Council” and as not involved – permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2020-2021.
“In each of these roles, you will be told that we have done an excellent job,” said Gonsalves, who has been in office since 2001, in a relaxed tone.
The small Caribbean island with 111,000 inhabitants and an area of just 400 square kilometers was chosen by the 33 countries of the region during the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac). , which took place this Tuesday in Buenos Aires.
It is the first time that a country from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has chaired the regional mechanism.
“We have the organizational and intellectual capacity and leadership, and we will work collegially with all member states,” he said.
“Throughout history, we’ve seen men and women make very deep marks beyond their individual traits,” he added.
Consisting of 32 islands and islets, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are located in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean. Until independence in 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a British colony.
It is currently a parliamentary monarchy integrated into the Commonwealth of Nations, headed by King Carlos III.
When asked about the particular declaration made during the conclave in favor of Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, which Britain claims, Gonsalves avoided analysis, confining himself to saying that “the resolution reflects the position taken by the majority of CELAC is most shared”. members.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an ally of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, benefits from the PetroCaribe program, launched in 2005 by then-President Hugo Chávez, which stipulates that Venezuela supplies oil to Caribbean countries at flexible prices and with payment options.
Gonsalves avoided criticizing human rights abuses being committed in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, urging more to consult “available evidence”.
“We must respect the positions and the situation of each country and of course these issues that require further analysis,” he concluded.