February 8th 2023
SVG leads CELAC at ‘strategic juncture’ in global, hemispheric affairs — Gonsalves
by iWitness News
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves left St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Tuesday for his first official visit as the pro tempore President of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC).
The visit comes less than one month after Kingstown’s Jan. 23 unanimous election to head the 33-hemispheric group at a time when members “are at a strategic juncture in global affairs and in hemispheric affairs,” according to Gonsalves.
Gonsalves’ delegation includes SVG’s Coordinator for CELAC Dr. Douglas Slater, a former minister of health and foreign affairs, Information Officer at the state-owned Agency For Public Information, Shevrell “Candy Man” Macmillan and Gregory Lowman of the Prime Minister’s Security Details.
In Venezuela, Gonsalves is scheduled to meet with President Nicolas Maduro as well as the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to discuss bi-lateral issues as well as CELAC matters.
He said on radio on Tuesday that the visit was at Maduro’s instance and discussions will be held to advance a proposal for the development of a Caribbean institute for science, knowledge and technology for CELAC.
“I want to hear his more detailed proposal, at least the framework, a more detailed framework,” Gonsalves said.
“In relation to CELAC, all the administrative arrangements have been put in place, the work plan, within the context of the declaration of Buenos Aires, all those are being elaborated and lots of communication with different countries and areas on matters touching CELAC and those countries.”
Last month, Gonsalves said that Kingstown began its CELAC candidacy bid in 2021 because Kingstown felt that “we were at a strategic, and we are at a strategic, juncture in global affairs and in hemispheric affairs”.
He said his government believes that SVG, within the context of a CARICOM candidacy has “a very special role to play”, noting among the “strategic circumstances” that the world has not seen a downturn like that after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gonsalves said there has been “tremendous dislocation, tremendous confusion”.
He also mentioned the war in Ukraine and “the supply chain problems which existed hitherto, which have caused a lot of economic and social convulsions apart from the pain and suffering of the people in Ukraine and Russia, themselves”.
The prime minister said this has had a knock-on effect on people in SVG, the hemisphere and the world SVG, “making it difficult for some people to make ends meet.
“So, what we are involved with here is not something which is for show, this is something which touches lives, living and production. And I want our people to understand this.”
Gonsalves said the second issue is that since 2008, there has been “a retreat of the rampaging forces of globalisation and a greater emphasis on regionalisation”.
He said this has both upsides and downsides, adding, “The trade data show it, the investments show it.”
He said this does not mean that the impact has not been uneven across the world adding that he was talking about the global situation.
“Now, if there are all these challenges strategically and globalisation is still at play with neoliberalism but there’s some retreat, and there’s a greater emphasis on regionalisation, it is important for us to be recognising this and be part of the leadership because we possess the experience to help to shape regional institutions, those to which we belong.”
He noted that CARICOM — the Caribbean’s regional integration movement — turns 50 in July.
“We must not miss these things. You see a lot of people, they’re so absorbed, naturally, in living and doing what they’re doing, they don’t think about the large issues like how we who have leadership, we have a responsibility to think about them,” Gonsalves said.
He noted that CELAC represents just over 8% of the world’s population, or 600 million people, including three G20 countries, namely Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
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