This content was published on January 25, 2023 – 00:15 January 25, 2023 – 00:15
Buenos Aires, 24 January (EFE).- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a parliamentary monarchy headed by King Carlos III, was elected this Tuesday to hold the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) exercise. in 2023, ending the postponement exercised by Argentina last year.
During the VII Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), taking place in Buenos Aires, the small Caribbean island with 111,000 inhabitants and an area of only 400 square kilometers, the 33 member countries of the Forum chosen.
Ralph Gonsalves, the country’s prime minister since 2001 and an ally of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, had previously expressed interest in a Caribbean Community (Caricom) country taking over the presidency of Celac.
“First and foremost, thank you for electing me as Celac’s pro tempore President for 2023. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the smallest countries in this organization and we have worked with Celac over the years,” Gonsalves told the summit plenary.
The President stressed that his country is the first in Caricom to hold this presidency. “And that makes us proud and we will work very closely with all states,” he said, to emphasize that he is “capitalizing on the great work of Mexico and Argentina,” the last two countries that have led Celac wool .
At the beginning of his speech, Gonsalves dedicated a few words to Argentine President Alberto Fernández – outgoing President of Celac – and to Brazilian Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva, whom he called “the great warrior” whose country has returned to the bosom of the organization after the Impasse of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency (2019-2022).
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a small island country made up of 32 islands and islets located in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean and was a British colony until gaining independence in 1979.
It is currently a parliamentary monarchy integrated into the Commonwealth of Nations, headed by King Carlos III, who is represented in the country by a Governor-General. In addition, it is a member of Caricom and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Its prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves, is leader of the Labor Unity Party and has held the post since 2001. He won his fifth consecutive term in the last general election in 2020.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines benefits from the PetroCaribe program, established in 2005 by then-President Hugo Chávez, which stipulates that Venezuela will supply oil to Caribbean countries at flexible prices and with payment options. Although the program has been suspended due to US sanctions, it will now continue with a 35% discount on the fuel retail price for participating countries. EFE
vd-rgm/mv/mf
(photo) (video)
� EFE 2023. The retransmission and redistribution of all or part of the content of the Efe Services is expressly prohibited without the prior and express consent of Agencia EFE SA