(WiredJA)- Gonsalves calls Washington’s regional policy “absurd” and “irrational” at international colloquium in Caracas
Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, has called on the United States government to initiate dialogue without preconditions with Cuba and Venezuela, while reaffirming Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
Speaking at the International Colloquium “Colonialism, Neocolonialism and the Territorial Dispossessions of Western Imperialism” in Caracas, the Caribbean leader challenged Washington’s approach toward sovereign governments in the region.
“Every conflict that is resolved through war, is never really resolved. It must be resolved through discussion,” Gonsalves said. “Even at the end of the war there must be discussions. So why not have those discussions earlier to avoid it?”
The prime minister called for the U.S. administration to establish “principled talks with the governments of Cuba and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to resolve any problems that exist between them.”
Zone of Peace Status
Gonsalves emphasized that both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) have formally declared the region a Zone of Peace, a principle he insisted must be respected by external powers.
He clarified that this designation refers to the absence of war between states, not the non-existence of criminal activities, which regional governments are committed to combating through cooperation.
On the issue of regional security, the Caribbean leader pointed to the source of weapons fueling crime in the region. “In my country, in every country in the Caribbean, in Latin American countries, we don’t produce weapons, we don’t produce bullets. All of that comes from the United States of America,” he stated.
Critique of US Regional Policy
Gonsalves described U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela as “absurd” and “irrational,” arguing that it is based on electoral interests in Florida rather than genuine security concerns.
“No one serious can think that Venezuela, with 30 million people, or Cuba, with ten million, are a threat to the United States,” he said, highlighting the disproportion in military power between the nations.
The prime minister specifically criticized the U.S. embargo against Cuba, in force since 1961, which has sought to pressure the island’s economy without achieving its stated objectives. “If we have a policy that has failed, why do you continue to insist on it?” he questioned.
While acknowledging the United States’ military capabilities, Gonsalves warned that the peoples of Cuba and Venezuela would defend their sovereignty “hand to hand” if necessary.
He concluded by challenging Washington’s interventionist stance: “You have arrogated to yourself the right to be the judge and say whether a government is on the right path or not.”
International Gathering
The International Colloquium, which began Thursday, October 2 at the “Antonio José de Sucre” Yellow House in Caracas, has brought together 137 delegates from 57 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
The gathering aims to denounce colonialism and U.S. expansionism in the region while reaffirming Caribbean identity as a historical axis of resistance.
