St. Vincent ‘not for sale’, Gonsalves says at CELAC Summit

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says St. Vincent and the Grenadines will not be dictated to and is not for sale.

He used his speech at the opening ceremony of the 8th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to send a message that Kingstown would never allow anyone to choose its friends and allies.

Gonsalves, who was wrapping up his pro tempore presidency of the 33-member hemispheric group, noted that he is the leader of a “very small country” that is born of its experiences.

“We tell everyone, especially those whose very essences prompt them to demand subservience from us, those whose instincts drive them towards Imperial or hegemonic rule that this country, St. Vincent and Grenadines will never permit any other country to dictate to us,” Gonsalves told heads of states and governments from the hemisphere.

“We will never allow anyone to choose for us, our friends and allies. And we do not — for those who think that we can be bought with blandishments — … put a for sale sign in our metaphoric shop window,” Gonsalves said. 

“And determinedly, we are not for sale,” the prime minister further stated, adding, “As a small country, I need to emphasise this so that the message can get clear that we are not like that.

“We in St. Vincent and Grenadines are not better than anyone. But no one is better than us. We are small. But we have a history of authenticity, of struggle, of achievement; we possess a nobility.”

Gonsalves said that SVG is part of the great Latin American and Caribbean civilisations.

“And we have a trajectory for further ennoblement. We rely on the genius of our peoples in a continued quest for self-mastery, but always in solidarity with like-minded peoples the world over. We are friends of all and we strive for a different and better world.”

He said that the summit was being held at a time “of extraordinary global challenges of great complexity, awash with multiple contradictions.”

Gonsalves said these impact significantly on “our America” and specifically on people’s lives, living and production.

“These externally sourced encumbrances and burdens, which restrict or constrain the scope of action of our people are made more complicated by homegrown weaknesses, limitations, confusions and conflicts.

“Despite our strengths and possibilities, inclusive of those resident in the genius of our peoples, even with our own burdensome travails and setbacks, we have advanced commendably.”

He said that CELAC nations are by and large, “we are ordered societies with thriving civilisations and a material base reasonably supportive of uplifting lives and living. We are thriving civilisations.

We do not need lessons from anybody about we having civilised life and living,” Gonsalves said.

“We in CELAC have a roadmap for confronting meaningfully our challenges, encumbrances, burdens, weaknesses and limitations. “And from our inherited and extant conditions, we have set forth accordingly, a package of policies and programmes to advance our people’s interests.”