As a citizen of Dominica, I am flabbergasted by the fact that a Member of Parliament, let alone the leader of the Opposition and Political Leader of the UWP could be of sound mind when he made statements recently on the subject of the political and economic situation in Venezuela, the first independent state to establish diplomatic relations with the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Mr. Linton clearly has no experience, training or foresight when it comes to foreign policy, and was he foolish enough to utter such comments in the political carnival that takes place at meetings of the UWP, it would not be a matter of too much concern.
However, to marshal local media houses to a media event to launch an assault on the diplomatic relations between Dominica and Venezuela is very unfortunate and damaging to say the least.
Without overstating the well known fact that the UWP has openly opposed and sought to discredit the deepening relationship between Dominica and Venezuela, calls by any leader of the UWP directed at the DLP administration to offer any kind of aid to the people of Venezuela is hypocritical and inconsistent with the views articulated on the UWP’s platform. The UWP since leaving office in 2000 has consistently questioned Dominica’s relationship with Venezuela and has distanced itself from some of the hallmarks of the relationship with Venezuela such as the PetroCaribe Initiative and ALBA.
To add insult to the injury done to our relationship with Venezuela, Mr. Linton couldn’t help but to take yet another reckless swipe at Dominica’s Citizenship by investment program. A program that successive governments since Dame Eugenia Charles, and that includes Edison James, has utilized, but only the DLP administration has leveraged any meaningful development from and raised the program to internally acceptable standards.
In his remarks, Linton underscores his recklessness by specifically asking that EC $ 1,000,000.00 be used from revenue generated through the Citizenship by Investment Program to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
Pause for a second for a reminder that this is the very program that the UWP condemns and discredits on a daily basis, even going as far as writing to foreign governments and organizations requesting that they inhibit and/or put an end to the program. Try to recall for a second that just two months ago Linton asked us all to stop the work of developing the country in an effort to cause chaos under the false banner of electoral reform through the introduction of Voter ID Cards so that only those resident on island could vote.
Less than two weeks later, he was calling for state funds to be mobilized to facilitate overseas voting. Today it’s a knee jerk reaction not just to cause fiscal imbalance by removing one million dollars from the treasury but to create confusion. Even worse is the fact that he would have the people of Dominica offer this amount to the Government and people of Venezuela supposedly to help stem the tide of the economic and political headwinds that they presently face.
However enough is enough, Venezuela has been a genuine ally to Dominica, and the leadership of this country has worked too hard to build the relationship with Venezuela for us to allow reckless men like Lennox Linton to sour that relationship. We must condemn Linton’s statements and stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Venezuela, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers. The recent increase in oil prices will ease the economic pressure and the rains will come to break the drought and fill the hydroelectric dams, restore normal electricity supply and irrigate agriculture.
Venezuela has helped us to improve energy security, eased the burden on our fishermen by erecting filling stations in fishing communities and provided an alternative source of Liquid Petroleum Gas. The people of Venezuela have assisted us in improvement of infrastructure, increasing climate resilience through the construction of sea defense walls, contributed to human resource development through the provision of Tertiary Level Scholarships and training opportunities as well as medical care. Dominica has (in turn) demonstrated its love, affinity and respect for the people of Venezuela by standing with them on the global stage in championing the cause of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our Leader the Hon. Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, had the spine of steel to stand solidarity with Comrade Hugo Chaves of blessed memory, in support of peace and equality throughout the Americas. He defended Dominica’s position in the establishment of ALBA which was criticized by the UWP but embraced by leaders across the region. He embraced Hugo Chaves and Dominicans welcomed Hugo and Maduro to our shores, yet in every instance the UWP was incensed by the fact that not just one but two Venezuelan Heads of State had visited Dominica and they could not relate to the outpouring of love for the Venezuelan leaders. So it is no wonder that today, Lennox Linton cannot comprehend what is taking place in Venezuela, far less to be in a position to prescribe how Dominica should manifest its support for our Venezuelan Comrades.
We the people of Dominica must keep the Government and people of Venezuela in our thoughts and prayers. We must put our trust in the sound foreign policy that this DLP Administration is known to deliver and rest assured that the people of Venezuela will indeed be aware of the support of the Dominican people for them, and our genuine desire to see an end to the political and economic headwinds that they now face.
Viva Dominica! Viva Venezuela!
What say you now, author?
I stopped at the first paragraph.. “I like it”..” i really really like it..” I feel for the PM.. after all he can’t allow them man to do nothing for him cuz is majee they will produce.. Boss where do you foresee Dominica’s economy in 3 years time?? (“I like it” is not a suitable answer)…. Mr is an epitome of a fool in high position. It is so blatant that it can’t be hidden .. In today’s Dominica I see servants on horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth dishonored by having to go on foot while his inferiors rides on horseback.
It is amazing that the writer speaks about the virtues of Chavez and Alba. Chavez and Maduro have wasted tens of billions of dollar. Where is the country’s sovereign fund. Take and example of waste of Venezuela money by the government of Dominica. The coffee mill was given to Dominica by Chavez and built by Venezuelans. Of course we do not have the volume of coffee for that size of mill. The coffee had to be imported from Nicaragua processed in Dominica then shipped to Venezuela because we do not have the market size. Any high school student would know that this was not feasible and that alba as a group would be better of i the coffee mill was located in Nicaragua where labor is cheaper than Dominica and exported directly Venezuela. That is why you here nothing about the coffee mill again and thousand of bags of imported coffee must be thrown away.
I am sure if Mr. Skerrit had listened to the ministry of agriculture we could have gotten a cocoa mill. We have a budding cocoa…
What is the message in this article? I cannot find it. And why didn’t the author identify him/herself?
You all remember Bonny & Clyde? Well Clyde Barrow was a psychopath.
I’m sorry but this is an extremely stupid article.
I suggest only a damn fool would utter such stupid nonsensical crap as in the caption. A ram goat, nor a donkey which is the stupidest animal on the planet would not have thought of such garbage to speak. Some of you who are the less intelligent like to bray, in the process of your braying you write sweet sounding nothing words that after you write them you clap yourself on your shoulders and say well done I’m smart!
You are so damn stupid you have forgotten that Jomo Kenyata is the one and only late original Burning Spear, and that was not even his name, but because it was his relentless which forced the British out of his country, hence he gained recognition as ” Jomo Kenyata” meaning the Burning Spear!
Your foolish ambitions has caused you to launch an attack on Lennox exposing your stupidity, how on earth Linton suggesting that Skerrit give a helping hand to Venezuela could be considered damaging insult to harmonious relationship with Venezuela?
Are you mad or…
Are you mad or simply ignorant?
What harmonious relationship Dominica has with Venezuela, except Skerrit crawled on his yellow belly to beg the dead man, Hugo Chavez and take Venezuela petroleum products and not pay for the oil, if you all had not suck the blood out of Venezuela their economy would not have collapsed.
If Venezuela and Dominica relationship was so great, how come they annex Eave island and scum’s like you do not have the courage to stand and fight for what belongs to the people of Dominica, as Jomo did for his people in his country? babbling fart is the cheapest thing to do!
You thought nobody would know where the words Burning Spear originated, but Kid Francisco Telemaque knows, how small are you feeling now?
nothing wrong in suggesting that we help VENEZUELA . I can remember Dame Mary Eugenia Charles and the all out onslaughts to make her public enemy number one and yet she prevailed and became thrice Prime Minister of Dominica. A word to the wise if there are any , Linton is no ordinary leader.
Venezuela give you guys 300 houses after TS Erika if I read right and over the years have given so much more. So please Dominica help,Remember they were there for us.We may not have much but do the right thing and god will continue to shine his light upon us.
You know what, I seriously wonder if mr. Skerrit’s operatives intercept the mail at the post office? anybody, who wants to write a letter to overseas bodies, complaining or wanting them to intervene, send it your family or a friend overseas first and ask them to post it to make sure it gets to, its destination. I don’t trust that government for anything.
Skeritte,
Just shut up. there is no defense for you. You are Just like maduro and Hugo Chavez. It is coming Dominica look out
A poofta wrote this load of crap
Thank you Mr ambassador. But would be great if you had signed it though
This is ridiculous…you mean this letter was written by an actual real person?
Amazing the level of thinking of some people…where is your empathy for the people of Venezuela who are lacking food, medicine, basic human needs to survive? You can’t be a human.
We didn\’t see you put pen to paper on the issue of child molestation especially by those in authority and specifically members of Parliament. You\’re the blasted hypocrite.
this writer is insane, total nonsense ,
You understand well what mr linton said,
This article does not deserve attention since the author is hiding behind pen and paper and does not want to reveal himself / herself. That person needs to tell Skerrit to send help to Venezuela ASAP. I suggest he sends those police officers of his to help and let people like Pelham and the one that swept airport money away. Dominica sure would be better without them
The corrupt and questionable leadership of the governments of Dominica and Venezuela is plain to see. Look the economies of these two impoverished countries lead by leaders who are self gratified and travelled the world talking rubbish.
The writer who penned this absolute rubbish is absolutely blind and selfish in he thoughts of the content of this garbage.
LMAO… The writer is soo proud to say all this yet in a commentary but too coward to put his/her real name. PM sure has a spine of steel and so does his brains. Diplomatic support is always for the people. Whether government change in Dominica or Venezuela those relationship remain because it is the voice of the people. Any assistance received by Dominica from government of Venezuela is of the unwritten rule that it is fro the people of Venezuela. Lennox linton has every right to suggest what the money from CIP can be used for and so to does every Dominican. Revenue from the sale of passports does not belong to the labour party and even if we do not agree, what is done by the government belongs to the people of Dominica. Not skerrit or the labor party neither freedom nor UWP. Get that in your dumb head. We have contributed to the suffering of the people in Venezuela by supporting a gov that wasted its coutry’s resources and has no regard for its people.
Crap CRAP CRAP,HOW MUCH DID SKERRIT PAY YOU TO WRITE THIS HOGWASH,WASTED NO TIME JUMPING ON LINTON.
There are sooooo many things that you ought to be flabbagasted about; and I wonder if you are. Issues like the high employment rate, corruption in government, lack of transperancy, child molestation, mental health, our general health system, the delapidated state of the city of Roseau.
I will be awaiting your commentry Sir; on such serious.
“We the people of Dominica must keep the Government and people of Venezuela in our thoughts and prayers.” Thoughts and prayers is not what the people of Venezuela need right now…they need food, diapers, medicine, etc.
When Erika hit, with the little they had they still try to support with petro casas. They didn’t just send us thoughts and prayers.
Viva Linton! Viva Truth-tellers!
we all know Venezuela’s situation is CIA craftiness to undermine any fixture of the Caribbean development,american capitalist is of the opinoun that Venezuela’s oil is their entitlement,i guess they are of the opinoun also that Venezuela is south America!!,but I would like my people to realize,that America can’t help us with oil prices,so we are caught in hard place and the mountains,so who do we support,food for thoughts,who is America fighting!!Venezuela or us.
I´m a venezuelan citizens living on this poverty… reading your post make me feel sick! come on here and enjoy our starving, violence and lack of medications. Please God make Maduro be out of our lives.
This commentary does not speak for all of us. We are praying for you. Mantenerse fuertes, amigos.
As usual, the “author” of this … has once again, made himself/herself the lowest hanging fruit. Go ahead, see if you can “lock up” the wind!!
HOTEP!
“Burning Spear?” Is this you, Ambassador ? So, your spear is burning now! Maybe you need to visit a physician to examine your spear. Please do not take this burning sensation lightly; . Lennox’ suggestion to use some of the CBI funds to aid our friends in Venezuela is sound advice, and I endorse it.
What garbage!
De government itself implied that it was going to pay petro caribe with agricultural supplies.
Dominica can’t even send bananas to Europe.
Currently there is a huge cry for caricom, especially the alba ones , to send help to Venezuela.
The problem is hat gesture should have been made a long time ago by skerrit, chavez unofficial son.
Lennox beat him to it.
Skerrit been ignoring the plight of the everyday Venezuelan and the first word of solidarity for the victims of Venezuela socialist agenda.
Lennox has always stood with the people of Venezuela. ……..no love for it’s ruthless oppressors.
De PS in agriculture says agriculture is on a rise boasting bananas and Irish potatoes……..send some food for the hungry people.
Your entire piece suggest no empathy nor solidarity with the suffering victims already shipping out of Venezuela.
Talk about trators eh!!!!!
Go bury your cesspool of filth far out in the ocean…Try something else..We are not as dumb as those DLP fools..WELL SAID HONOURABLE LINTON.. GO PLANT FIG! LAZY!!!!
Aye Burning Spear – hopefully, your SPEAR is indeed being consumed by the flames that are BURNING it – you will only fool people who have not listened to Linton and the UWP on the matters you mentioned in the article.
One example of your many fabrications in the article: “In his remarks, Linton underscores his recklessness by specifically asking that EC $ 1,000,000.00 be used from revenue generated through the Citizenship by Investment Program to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.”
Resolve the Venezuelan crisis? When did Linton ever ask that EC 1 million dollars be given for the purpose of RESOLVING the Venezuelan crisis? Some of all you these spin doctors of Roosevelt Skerrit are just malicious in all you clear attempts to deceive people by twisting the things the UWP and Linton has said.
But I’ll repeat, your attempts to deceive will only work on those who have not actually heard the statements of the UWP and Linton over the years on the various issues you mentioned.
If you are so sincere to the article and the readers reading the article why don’t you lay claim to it by signing your name under it. clearly there is no merit in what you are writing, and Mr Lincton statement stands.
DNO, I suggest that you ask those who pen these detailed commentaries to do so under his/her real name especially when it is intended to spread propaganda.
Your words are words of a prophet. SIR, But when a person is incompetent that is expected. Linton, Please stop victimizing our innocent children. Do the honorable thing and call for a by election for Francis seat. The Doctor PM, doesn’t condone slackness, but on the other hand the NOVICE is eating doughtish food
Waste of pen and paper…..
Sounds like Ambassador ……. to me!!!
I doubt that, but whoever it is I suppose if I’d written commentary this embarrassing I wouldn’t put my real name on it either.
I mean, “Lennox Linton cannot comprehend what is taking place in Venezuela”?
It’s the author who cannot comprehend that what is taking place in Venezuela is chaos, misery, and utter ruin as a result of the socialists he praises so highly.
Steve someone told me in a response I am so stupid, so much so that I do not know I am stupid!
Hahahahahahahhahahhahahhahahhaha!
Well here is the epitome of a fool who does not know he/she is a fool, and the reason is they are too dumb to know that they dumb!
Hahahaha, we have an ambassador to Venezuela, who lives here and does not speak Spanish. But the ambassador of Venuela to Dominica lives here. You think they know life is better in poor Dominica than in oil rich Venezuela?
Of course it is……..who else the writing is bald and shining…..
I FULLY ENDORSE the views of Honourable Lennox Linton.Skerrit use to make us believe that the relationship with Venezuela was a personal thing,he even use to bite his mouth and tongue trying to play Chavez number TWO, trying to speak Spanish..He should not let Linton call upon him to help the poor people who are chasing dogs,cats and pigeons…BUT THIS IS DLP..Set of ungrateful people.WELL SAID HONOURABLE LINTON!
Politics, politics above country and people. That is all I can say about this non- sense that has been written.
This is letter is so dicken and sickening. What is wrong with what Linton said? The country was here for Dominica why cant we give back something. That letter is so stupid