KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, May 21, IWN — Vincentians have been told that “some good money [is] coming” in the wake of a visit to this country on Monday of a 11-member delegation from the ALBA bank, headed by the president of the Venezuela-based financial institution.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves announced at the annual Fisherman’s Day Rally on Monday that he held talks with the delegation earlier that day and that a team from Cuba also arrived in the country that same day.
“President [of Venezuela, Nicholas] Maduro sent them to see me, headed by the president o the ALBA Bank. And I want to say to you, some good money [is] coming. I [am] not talking about that tonight; only to tell you some money coming. You hear me?” he said.
He said the delegation will “do something” with us with Vincy Fresh, a local, state-owned agro-processing company.
“Some monies have been approved for us to get the laptops for the secondary schools.
I hope we can get them in September,” he further said, as he urged the audience and radio audiences to “have faith”.
“Not just theoretically. Faith is made complete through works and the works [are] happening. The just shall live by faith and belief. And the people of the righteous shall not beg their bread,” he further said.
Gonsalves, who is also Minister of Finance, further announced that a delegation from Cuba, led by a government minister, arrived in this country Sunday night.
“President Raul Castro sent a minister with a number of other technical persons,” he said, adding that the team on Monday was at the Argyle international airport construction site “reviewing things”.
He said the technical personnel from Cuba will stay in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for about 10 days “to see how we need to do additional work and keep ourselves on track with respect to the conclusion of international airport.”
The US$652 million international airport, the nation’s first, is scheduled to be completed by year-end and begin operating next year.
“When the fishermen [are] working at sea, I am working on land to help to do my part. Each of us has his own part to do,” said Gonsalves, noting that Monday was a public holiday.
I was told Venezuela pirogue are better that those from T&T. Maybe the PM can start some negotiations to expose Venezuelans built pirogue to SVG fishermen and women. Oh yeah! I have seen women fishing during my last visit to SVG.
I have forwarded this article to the US ambassador, it will save Gonsalves the job of doing so over his next little ‘tea and cakes’ session when he visits them next for in depth information sharing, commonly known as shooting your mouth off.
Remember all that stuff he previously told the US ambassador that was included in the WIKILEAKS documents. All that badmouthing Cuba and Chavez.
In fact i believe it was the WIKILEAKS expose that stopped the Venezuelans from paying us the money owed for the Cubans Argyle wages. I also believe that is what caused Gonsalves to be vurtually ignored by the Castros’ and Chavez for the last two or three years.
Now with Chavez gone he has probably gone begging because the elections are close by, and they have been told he may very well lose them.
Its my belief they have someone else lined up in SVG to replace Gonsalves, there are two or three for them to choose from.
PVPALMER, you have of course heard about the crap Venezuelan airline ‘Conviasa’, that Gonsalves has hooked us up with, an airline that beats Trinidad state airline hands down for aviation fuel subsidy, 90% government subsidised aviation fuel, against Trinidads 45% subsidy.
What a hoot, now Trinidad will need to take legal advice from some Caribbean lawyer who is getting rich writing legal opinions on fuel subsidies.
I just hope that we get some prime airline to fly in, we do not need a tin pot concern to use our 1 billion US dollar when finished airport.
I think now is the time to tell us if Venezuelas huge military airforce will be using our airport?
I just hope that whatever money Gonsalves is being offered by them, that its free money, not repayable, not more debt. We could start with the $20 million owed to us by Venezuela for the Cubans wages. Also get them to pay the diesel bill for the airport, pay VINLEC for the fuel, then we can get our electricity at normal prices again.
We really should at some time in the future look for reparations from the PM.
Peter DA SIMPELTON,
Are you referring to the same WIKILEAKS that said the Unity Labour Party (ULP) head was easily the most intelligent and charismatic of the Eastern Caribbean leaders and that Eustace is a singularly uncharismatic and uninspiring figure who is unable to translate his technocratic expertise into any kind of viable or sustained political activity…Without a stronger leader, the NDPs [New Democratic Party] influence will be muted”