Dominica has strongly condemned street protests by the opposition in Venezuela earlier this week which has left at least three people dead.
The protests were held to vent frustration over president Nicholas Maduro’s handling of the inflation-plagued Venezuelan economy, worsening crime and human rights concerns.
Reports indicate vigilantes on motorcycles attacked the demonstrators by firing into the crowd and setting off a stampede.
Speaking at a ceremony of the St. Joseph Village Council and Venezuelan embassy on Thursday evening, coordinator of ALBA, Dr. Philbert Aaron, said that Maduro was the duly elected president of Venezuela and the violence should be condemned.
“In light of the strong friendship and solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in light of the Brotherhood that we have share, I wish in the name of Dominica to condemn very strongly the attack by a minority, an extreme right minority on Venezuela…” he said.
He pledged Dominica’s support for Maduro and Venezuela.
“I also wish to express, the support of Dominica for President Nicholas Maduro, who is the duly elected and the democratically elected president of Venezuela,” Aaron said.
The violence broke out after some 10,000 demonstrators had gone home following a mainly peaceful rally.
Two people died after the vigilantes opened fire on the remaining crowd.
A third died in later clashes.
The march was the latest in a series of mass protests against the policies of President Maduro.
Meantime ambassador of Venezeula to Dominica, Hayden Pierela, said on Thursday night that the opposition in Venezuela is trying to over throw President Maduro by force.
“The crisis is fabricated from the opposition, and yesterday in Venezuela they tried to do a coup d’état, they burnt a lot of vehicles, public facilities, and the same book that they used in 2002,” he said.
Pierella also mentioned that the opposition is against the scholarships that Venezuela is giving to other countries like Dominica.
“So that’s what the opposition in Venezuela wants to finish with, they do not want the Venezuelan people to give scholarships,” he said.
our graves in Dominica is being dug deeper and deeper. America is now going to put us under there microscope. we get involve with Cuba and America business with setting free prisoners now we upholding Venezuela behaviour towards there citizens. speak for your self Dr Aaron. because i am Dominican and i don’t support what there government is doing. you guys keep singing for your supper and putting all of Dominica at risk.
Not very diplomatic language for someone, who is supposed to be an Ambassador. A professional diplomat would never make a public pronouncement about the policies of a country he is accredited to, leave alone show open support for a particular political party in that country and certainly no pass instant judgement on the identities of perpetrators of serious crimes in his host nation before the have been investigated. Bad, bad form Dr. Aaron.
Hey DNO, what happened to the original article? You know the fair and unbiased one. Why doesn’t this one say UPDATE when the piece by the ambassador was clearly added later on?
what about those happening at home? never saw you condemn any the violence in DA.
Venezuela can take care of themselves.
puppet master
to add he never condemn the attempted murder of two senior citizens.
I have one word for you Aaron – ‘utter rubbish’
You may try to silence my voice and chain my hands but someday I shall rise to defeat you
Some people are out to destroy not only themselves and their future but their country. This is what protests like this cause.
In their ignorance and quest for a new government as they try to oust him, they are not aware that they are affected and could cause ruin on themselves, their family and others. In reality, some do not know what is good for them and for the nation.
Why is this our business? Everybody is not taking it cool like us Dominicans! people are fed up with corrupt regimes. Out turn is coming.
That is not democracy but a dictatorship…Is this what is ahead for DA. Whatever happened to Bird Island? Just asking..
Really? You want to take on Venezuela’s opposition? “Mind your own business.”…..
Aaron; where were you when a certain man by the name of Savarin, instigated a riot, which was no less than a civil war in our country which lasted for more than forty days, hence, toppling the government of Patrick John in the process?
Did you and Dominica condemned that riot?
Do you remember that Dominicans were also killed during Savarin instigated civil war which crippled our nation for more than forty days? The civil war in Dominica lasted forty days, and forty nights before Patrick John surrender: the riots in Dominica lasted the same amount of time it took the flood in Noah’s day to start and subside.
Has Mr. Savarin apologized to the people of Dominica for the destruction, and all the economic damage he caused our nation? Certainly not; instead he was crown king of Dominica, he is now sitting on his thrown, where he engage himself in the reading of our nation’s preamble. Anytime people object to any unfairness in the country these days, he is quick to mention the preamble of our nation, nevertheless, when he raged war on our nation it seems he had no knowledge of the preamble; there is more to our nation constitution than the preamble which he is stock on, I suppose he is still trying to understand it.
The caption reads “Dominica has strongly condemned the street protest by the opposition in which three people died.” Is that your way of expressing you sympathy, and empathy to the dictatorship which runs Venezuela? If the situation was reversed to where the dictatorship had turn its military on the poor people who are protesting; fighting for their human rights, and dignity, would Dominica condemned the action of the dictatorship?
I do not think so!
When you say Dominica condemns; you are insinuating that the people of our country condemns the action; you are confirming all our nationals are in agreement with you; however, it is not so at all, and since the land, the dirt that we walk on cannot speak, I suggest you say that you and your regime condemns the protest, that would be better understood. I doubt the ordinary man/woman in the streets of Dominica cares two hoots about what is going on in Venezuela.
If you are the Dominica ambassador to Venezuela, perhaps you could earn your pay by engaging the Venezuelan dictator demanding the seeding of Ave’s island to the people to which it rightly belongs, and that is the people of Dominica!
Anything less than that we do not wish to hear you!
And by the way unless memory fades me I believe three people also died in the civil war instigated, and conducted by General and Commander in Chief Savarin.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
FRANCISCO DODS TELEMAQUE, for the fist time I am in complete agreement with you on a topic that Dominican’s should all read and remember, u are on point, try to stay on point from this day on, Lol…
How much money is this corrupt party paying Aaron for exhailing gasses into the air? I hear is
$14 000.00? The man spent about ONE ENTIRE MONTH we, spewing filth about our soon to be PRIME MINISTER LENNOX LINTON. Aaron you have given Linton a bread now man?
Boy look koshonyee in this poor and impoverished Dominica we.
a break not a bread.
It saddens my heart to see someone like Aaron, A guy I respect and look up to in highschool, support these kind of behavior and in bed with Skerrit
This guy Aaron use to cry down the Skerrit administration until they gave him a job.
Aaron stop spewing thrash on this medium.When Dominicans are being murdered, why are you so mute? MAN SHUT UP.
How could Aaron launch an attack on people protesting peacefully against their government’s inapt handling of the economy? As some bloggers have pointed out, the protestors were fired upon by so-called vigilantes on bikes. Aaron should be ashamed of himself. Where is your intellectual honesty, doctor? And why take sides in the internal affairs of a sovereign state? To hell with fairness and truth for a dollar?
I suppose you would like to hear more of them murdered.
Is he condemning the people’s right to protest peacefully? It really is “silly season”.
He makes this statements based on Maduro’s side of the story….the truth is that this protest is being organized by students all over Venezuela…it was a peaceful protest since its nearly impossible to live in Venezuela due to insecurity and non availability of basic items such as toilet paper, butter, sugar, flour. Do your research Aaron!!! Media have been threatened and are not able to show what is really going on, but go on youtube and see all the videos that the same students are posting. All those who have died are students, young Venezuelans that can not take the lifestyle any longer
Sot Aaron Sot, so if the opposition wins the next election how u think they will feel about Dominica with your donkey statements, i am really shocked at the level of stupidity we have in public office in this country.
I could not have said it better…donkey have no right in horse race. every Dominican should know that
We had 2 murders in about a week and no one said anything. All of a sudden they are talking about Venezuela. Take of the beam in your eyes before you remove the dust from your brother’s eyes.
Aaron is no position to talk on behalf of Dominica. Since the death of Papa Chavez, we do not see money flowing like oil into Dominica through diplomatic (?) bags, we now hear that Uncle Maduro wants Dominica to pay its bill that Maduro and Venezuela have that money to take care of their poor people that all these protests stopped.
Aaron stop protecting Skerrit and corrupt governments and if you have nothing of substance to talk about PLEASE SHUT UP!!!!!!
If this guy has any foreign relations experience he would know that in situations like these you do not interfere, its an internal matter where the opposition feels that the government handling of the economic crisis in Venezeula is not handled properly. What if the situation turns around later, how would that relationship benifit Dominica by your statements made Mr Aaron??
hi i did not hear him codemn the fire bombing of immanuel house;
I wonder if it was the government that was protesting, would he condemn their action ?
Mr. Aaron need to be more professional than that. Stop being political junky
“Government protesting?” Huh?! Lol!
All you so quick to belch hot air against the government that you all just post all kinds of foolishness everytime someone from the government speaks. SMDH!! Magee.
@Razor. Go read your garbage again. How more stupid can you get.
Boy…those labour party people can twist a story…I can’t understand how they think…. People demonstrate and a fired upon …then you condemn them?
Mr. Aaron aren’t you some kind f social scientist?… you are well aware that people demonstrate as a way to vent their frustrations with a system…this happens all over the world . If the people of South Africa had remained mute..Aparthied would be alive and well today….You people are decades too late….Dictatorships and authoritarian rule are a thing of the past…they never survive for long…Change is a must…hot an option…
According to a reliable source, it is alleged, the doctor has not been the most popular member of the Skeritt Administration. It is also alleged that many Ministers of Government and Parliamentary Rep. have been complaining about the salary of $14,000 a month and for what. It was drawn to my attention that apart from the criticisms of Mr. Lennox Linton, the UWP and the Wednesday morning Kamala show, his involvement as the Ambassador with regards to Venezuela’s Affairs is nil. My source also made it clear that for approximately one year the Prime Minister has done little travelling with him to Venezuela or ALBA Conferences. However, my source told me he was happy, the Doctor had something or some kind of involvement in matters pertaining to Venezuela this time. Maybe it is because the Prime Minister is out of the Country or because certain Ministers of Government are beginning to recognize him.
Does the Doctor even speak Spanish??
I had to read the story twice. I thougth the ambassador was condemning the violence.
I could not believe the man was condemning the people’s right to protest. Is this man for real?
With the resources that Venezuela has, this government has been squandering the opportunity to provide even the basic for its people. This is a classic case of how not to govern a country.
Chavez and now Maduro have made a complete mess of that country.
Yeah…agreed with the general sentiment here.
We are crossing a dangerous line in seeming to support a party rather than the government and people of Venezuela.
We should condemn all violence and express our support for democracy and for the Venezuelan people.
Well, well, well, I’ve read it all. Dr. Aaron seems to have no clue. If that’s what we choose to represent our nation, we are definitely in trouble if we do not vote these guys out of office before it’s too late.
I’m sure Maduro more interested in Dominica paying its Petrocaribe bills and not words that cost nothing.
Last week when Skerrit got a chance to address CELAC he ran away from Sir Dwight Venners and instead used his time to attack and condemn the USA for five Cubans imprisoned falsely, according to Skerrit. Since according to reports, he is supposed to attend the ECCB in St. Kitts today, I hope he uses this opportunity to condemn the Venezuelan president for attacking peaceful protesters which resulted in the death of three people. I also hope he uses this opportunity to rebuke his good friend Dr. Arron, for falsely using the name of Dominica to condemn the people of Venezuela who were innocently attacked and killed by their communist regime.
Hear! hear! At the Heads of State meeting in St. Kitts in 2011 (30 June-4 July)Roosevelt Skerrit publicly voiced “unequivocal support” for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddaffi, then under siege by his own people. Skerrit furthermore said: “I myself am proud of the relationship I have with the leader Muammar Gadaffi”
Oddly enough, at that meeting, he also expressed his support for the African Union initiative, in line with the other Caricom leaders, notwithstanding the fact that he signed an agreement with Morocco to support their claims the previous year.
” I wish in the name of Dominica to condemn very strongly the attack by a minority, an extreme right minority on Venezuela”
Since when does Philbert Aaron speak for Dominica?
He’s Dominica’s Ambassador to Venezuela….that’s what they do…duh. Like it or not, the government and their appointees REPRESENT Dominica. The only way to change that, is to change the government.
Guess the good Doctor has a weird sense of democracy, perhaps none at all. People read the BBC report on this. Much more balanced and to be trusted more.
i live in venezuela and bbc along with cnn are far away from reality
You damn lie! You never leave Dominica in your life.
LOL!! You call the BBC’s report “much more balanced and to be trusted more?!” Are you for real?
Yes Razor. I put Aaron, the Chronicle, DBS, Kairi, especially GIS and just in case you ask, even our popular Q95 ( the best of the lot) against the BBC anytime.
Well next election go and vote for Maduro nah
“Reports indicate vigilantes on motorcycles attacked the demonstrators by firing into the crowd and setting off a stampede.”
Vigilantes: The last time I consulted a dictionary a vigilantes was a person (s) acting on the government behalf to enforce law and order aka police officers. So it was government police that firing into the crowd and instead of Skerrit, Aaron and the DLP condemning that act they chose to condone it and condemn peaceful protesters.
Thanks very much DNO for reporting balance information so those of us who know how to read, and understand what we reading, could be in a position to differentiate between friction and truth. Here is Skerrit once again using his missionaries to fool the people of Dominica. Here is Dr. Aaron trying to give an expired pill to the people of St. Joseph without even dealing cause of the problem. He is there using the name of Dominica in vain to condemn protesters who were peacefully protecting their right. Do the people of Venezuela don’t have a right to protest Skerrit/ Aaron just as Dominians do have a right to protest? Are you all using this to try to tell Dominicans that they cannot protest on the streets of Dominica?
Dr. Aaron, once again you, your boss and the DLP are trying to condemn the innocent people to justify a regime that is at fault. How wicked!
DNO,This story is so confusing. Am i correct to say that Aaron is condemning violence from Maduro but still is supporting him? or is it that there ws a third party involved?
Ok mr. Aaron what are you trying to say and who are you realy supporting. Ok, peacful demonstration against government mismanagement of country. People have that right even if president is elected. Are you against the right to peacfull protest. Vigilantes attack protesters creating stampede. Obviously these vigilante are from the gov. We all know how these things go. Can’t you admit that venezuela is being dragged down the drain by an incompetent leader and a dumb fiscal policy. Where there is injustice and poverty there is dissent.
People like you makes one question why do people go to school cause even with your soo called qualification you cannot distinguish between an apple an a rotten banana. The venezuelan system is destined for failure and can only be enforced by brute force and fear. Reminds me of the oppressive regimes in the world.
IS that what you support? All for a few dollars
Wait a minute – did he condemn the attack on the demonstrators and chastise people who have a right to demonstrate. What blatant foolishness and groveling.
Is this man for real. It is precisely that he is the president and people are catching he’ll why they protest.
The.report said they were protesting peacefully when men shot into the crowd, which suggests to me that the shooters are the president’s supporters and those are the ones who should be condemned.
But I guess this so called alba coordinator has no choice because we know he cares more for Venezuela than little old Dominica.
This is the perfect example of what a dictatorship Government operates by trying to scare the people. The Venezuelan people have been suffering for years from one regime to another, just like us here in Dominica.
Why condemn the people’s right to protest the problems form which you just admitted the country suffers? Why not condemn the shooting by these so called ‘vigilantes’?
But it’s obvious why seeing that they being against the demonstration would make them supporters of the government right? Anybody who’s lived in that country long enough knows which side is known for being violent.
Why the Dominican Government don’t come out and condemn their own killing in their country? Charity begins at home…..
Why don’t you spend at least a year in Venezuela living life like an ordinary venezuelan then come and say you condemn the people’s right to protest. When basic goods like sugar, rice, flour, toilet paper etc are next to impossible to get and delinquency in the country is at an all time high people will take to the streets so that the corrupt government can take responsibility for their actions for once.
And the people who opened fire were AGAINST the protest. The violence was not caused by the protesters, it was by those AGAINST it. Take a wild guess as to who those so called ‘vigilantes’ support. It certainly is not the opposition.
do i live in venezuela????
Why does the government feel that it needs to wade in on what is going on within the countries which gives them financial help. Don’t we have enough problems at home to sort out? We need to clean up our own act before we talk about others.
Get a grip man
wait..dem guys for real. the protest was against the president and the motorcycle vigilantes attacked dem killing three and starting a stampede. please aron speak for you n skerrit not Dominicans. we can read!!!!