Camillo says he regretted pledging not to sue while in politics

Former East St. George MP Camillo Gonsalves says that he sometimes regrets pledging to himself before entering politics not to sue anyone for defaming him.

“And many times, I wish I hadn’t made that promise to myself, because I was defamed many, many, many times, and continue to be defamed many — but watch me, I ain’t in office now ah nuh. I go sue yo,” he said on his party’s Star Radio.

Gonsalves made the revelation as he criticised the New Democratic Party for halting state advertisement to the Unity Labour Party’s Star Radio, which has been broadcasting since 2008.

“I don’t have any fear for the survival of Star Radio or anything like that, but that’s not the point. That’s not the main issue here,” the former finance minister said as he filled in for his father, Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves, on the “Morning Comrade” show.

Camillo Gonsalves, who was among the ULP MPs that the electorate sent packing in the November 2025 general election, said that before coming to office, he had written a note to himself about some things that he would and would not do.

He noted his background in journalism, having been trained in the United States, where he obtained a first degree in the discipline.

“And they hammer into your head the freedom of the press and that you mustn’t have a chilling effect on people, on the freedom of expression and all the rest of it,” he said.

“And I wrote something to myself. One day, maybe I should read that letter. I think I still have it, but I said to myself that I will not sue anybody for anything anybody say about me,” the former East St. George MP said.  

He said he did not sue anyone despite the “many, many times” he has been and continues to be defamed.

“But then … is one of the promises I made to myself, because I thought that in a young society, people will sometimes cross the line, they will sometimes say things that not necessarily bad-mindedly, but they might cross the line on defamation or libel or slander or whatever.

“And yeah, I gave people a little bit of, you know, leeway. I had no idea some of the things that would be said about me. But that’s another conversation. But I made that promise to myself because I wanted media to grow and to flourish, and media is very dear to me, even when I disagree with it, even when I find what I’m reading to be disgusting and reprehensible.

“When you step back, when you step back and you look at the whole media ecosystem, you say, well, you let all voices compete. You let all ideas complete. And unless somebody is being bad-minded and vicious and really trying to pull you down, like they do to Ralph Gonsalves — the things that they say about Ralph Gonsalves are completely beyond the pale.”

During his time in office as prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves successfully sued media outlets, particularly NICE Radio for defamation.

“And some of the things about me too, but like I said, I made a promise to myself — when you step back, you have to realise that different viewpoints, different perspectives, different media sources, have to compete with one another,” Camillo Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves said it is “the responsibility of a government to step back and see the holistic situation and not say, ‘Leh we spite Star Radio by taking away their advertising money.

“That that is a that is a low thing to do, and I hope they reconsider it, because … it’s grounded in spite. That’s the basis of it. You’re not going to balance the budget on the little $2 that you used to send to Star Radio.

“But you’re sending a spiteful message. You’re sending a message of intent, and the intent is not good, and I think we need to watch that.”

During his presentation, Gonsalves read statements by various hemispheric organisations condemning the use of state advertising to punish media that are critical of governments.