Dominica has joined Antigua in seeking to clear the air on an ALBA statement supporting Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, in that Latin American country’s dispute with Britain.
The statement ends with a sentence suggesting that member states of the Bolivarian Alliance (ALBA) “support the decision made by the countries of the region to ban ships with the colonial flag imposed on the Malvinas from entering their ports”.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said on Monday after returning from the ALBA summit in Caracas, Venezuela, that his government was not too concerned about the banning of ships aspect of the declaration, because there were no Falkland Island ships calling on Dominica.
However Antigua and Barbuda, another OECS member of ALBA, has since distanced itself from that part of the declaration.
In a just released statement, the Dominica government says it “has not granted its support to any call for the region to ban ships with the colonial flag imposed on the Malvinas from entering its ports, as stated in the said declaration”.
“Dominica therefore disassociates itself from statements regarding the banning of ships carrying the flag of the Falklands from entering its ports,” the government statement said.
Argentina is over 350 miles from the Falklands, they have no right by occupation, tenure, ownership or for any other reason to a claim for the islands. The Argentines decided to grab the islands by military force, they were beaten by and surrendered to the British.
The British have a long and detailed history regarding the islands.
The Falkland people under a UN charter have the right to determine their own future. In a referendum they were offered the options of becoming part of Argentina, being a part of a duel administration of British and Argentinian, to be self owned and administered, to remain under British rule, they chose the latter.
Huge undersea oil fields have recently been discovered and the seas around the Falklands have the Worlds best fish stocks. That is why Argentina want the Falklands. If they were just a bunch of swampy and rocky islands, they would show no interest.
August 9th 1592: The Falkands Islands were first recorded as discovered by the English, when a severe storm battered a ship, and captain Davis drifted under bare masts, taking refuge “among certain Isles never before discovered.” Consequently, for a time the Falklands were known as “Davis Land” or “Davis’s Land.”
In 1594: The Falklands were visited following the recorded discovery of Captain Davis, by English commander Richard Hawkins, who, combining his own name with that of Queen Elizabeth I, and gave the islands the name of “Hawkins’ Maidenland.”
In 1600: Sebald de Weert, a Dutchman, visited them and called them the Sebald Islands (in Spanish, “Islas Sebaldinas” or “Sebaldes”), a name which they bore on some Dutch maps into the 19th century.
In 1690: English Captain John Strong sailed between the two principal islands and called the passage “Falkland Channel” (now Falkland Sound), named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659–1694), who as Commissioner of the British Admiralty had financed the expedition and later became First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective name, the Falkland Islands.
In 1764: France established a colony at Port St. Louis, on East Falkland’s Berkeley Sound coast. The French named the islands ‘Îles Malouines’ was given to the islands – Malouin being the adjective for the Breto port of Saint-Malo [France]. The Spanish name name Islas Malvinas is a translation of the French name name.
In 1765: The British Captain John Byron, who was unaware of the French presence in the east, explored Saunders Island, in the west, named the harbour Port Egmont, and claimed this and other islands for Britain on the grounds of prior discovery, quoting 1592, 1594 and 1690.
In 1766: The British Captain John MacBride established a British settlement at Port Egmont. These events were nearly the cause of a war between Britain and Spain, both countries having sent armed fleets to contest the barren but strategically important sovereignty of the islands.
In 1766: France agreed to leave the Falklands, and Spain agreed to reimburse Louis de Bougainville, who had established a settlement at his own expense.
In 1767: The Spaniards assumed control in 1767 and re-named Port St. Louis as Puerto Soledad.
July 10th 1770 to 22 January 1771: British presence in the west of the main islands continued, until interrupted by Spain during the then Falkland crisis.
In 1774: Because of Britain’s concentration on the American War of Independence, Britain unilaterally chose to withdraw from many overseas settlements, one of which was the Falklands in 1776.
May 20th 1776: the British forces under the command of Lt. Clayton formally took their leave of Port Egmont, they ceremonially left a conspicuously placed plaque asserting Britain’s continuing sovereignty over the islands.
From 1777 to 1811: The Spanish Crown ruled the Falklands Islands from Buenos Aires, Spain withdrew due to the pressures of war against Bonapartist rule at home in Spain and also the moves towards independence by her South American colonies.Like Britain in 1776, Spain left behind a plaque proclaiming her sovereignty.
At this time all the Spanish settlers withdrew from the islands.
In 1811, following the departure of the Spanish settlers, the Falkland Islands became mainly the domain of British and American whalers and sealers who used the islands to shelter from the worst of the South Atlantic weather.
Between 40 and 50 ships were engaged in exploiting fur seals. There was an itinerant population of up to 1,000 sailors.
February 8th 1813: The British ship Isabella, a ship of 193 tons and a crew of fourteen, was wrecked off the coast of Eagle Island (now known as Speedwell Island).
Captain George Higton and five other men volunteered to make the hazardous voyage to the River Plate in one of the ship’s longboats. Braving the South Atlantic in a boat little more than 18 ft long (5.5 m), they made landfall a month later. The British gun brig Nancy was sent to rescue the survivors.
April 5th 1813: The US sea Captain Charles Barnard of the American sealer ‘Nanina’ was sailing off the shore of Eagle Island, with a discovery boat deployed looking for seals. Having seen smoke and heard gunshots the previous day, he was alert to the possibility of survivors of a ship wreck. This suspicion was heightened, when the crew of the discovery boat came aboard and informed the captain they had come across a new moccasin as well as the partially butchered remains of a seal. At dinner that evening, the crew observed a man approaching the ship who was shortly joined by eight to ten others. Both Barnard and the survivors from the Isabella had harboured concern the other party was Spanish and were relieved to discover that they were British.
Barnard dined with the Isabella survivors that evening and finding that the British party were unaware of the War of 1812 informed the British survivors that technically they being of the US were at war with each other. Nevertheless Barnard promised to rescue the British party and set about preparations for the voyage to the River Plate. Realising that they had insufficient stores for the voyage he set about hunting wild pigs and otherwise acquiring additional food. However, while Barnard was gathering supplies, the British took the opportunity to seize the Nanina and departed leaving Barnard and three of his crew marooned. Shortly thereafter the Nanina encountered the British ship Nancy under Lt D’Aranda who had sailed from the River Plate in order to rescue the survivors of the Isabella. Lt D’Aranda took the Nanina as a prize.
Barnard and his party survived for eighteen months marooned on the islands until rescued by the British ships Indispensible and Asp in November 1814.
October 1820: The Frigate ’Heroina’ under the command of American privateer Colonel David Jewett arrived in Puerto Soledad following voyage lasting from March to October 1820 looking to capture Spanish ships as prizes. Most of her crew were incapacitated by scurvy and disease. Jewett also executed six of his crew for mutiny. Ultimately he was unable to find any Spanish prizes but did manage to capture a Portuguese ship named Carlota. As Argentina and Portugal were not at war, Jewett could be considered to have committed piracy. A storm resulted in severe damage to the Heroína and had sunk the prize Carlota forcing Jewett to put into Puerto Soledad for repairs.
Captain Jewett chose to rest and recover in the islands, seeking assistance from the British explorer James Weddell. Weddell reported only 30 seamen and 40 soldiers fit for duty out of a crew of 200, and how Jewett slept with pistols over his head following an attempted mutiny.
November 6th 1820: US Colonel David Jewett raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate (a predecessor of modern-day Argentina) and claimed possession of the islands. Weddell reported the letter he received from Jewett as:
February 1st 1821: US Colonel, David Jewett sent a long report to Buenos Aires in which he described his journey.
In his report he failed to make any mention whatsoever of his claim over the Falklands or raising of the flag there.
April 1821: Jewett departed from the Falkland Islands. In total he had spent no more than six months on the island, entirely at Port Luis.
In 1822: US Colonel David Jewett was accused of piracy by a Portuguese court, but by that time he was in Brazil.
News of Jewett’s claim over the Falklands was first in the Salem Gazette. Prior to that news story Jewett had never before mentioned the claim of ownership of the islands. The US Massachusetts news paper reprinted and then it was re-printed in the Times of London. The Spanish newspaper Cadiz then reported the story and it was only when this report reached Buenos Aires, as a foreign news story, was it published in the Buenos Aires Argos on 10 November 1821. More than a year after the event. The Argentine government itself made no announcements. This was probably because Jewett had made no report of his ‘acquisition’ and so they were completely unaware that it had taken place.
In 1823: The United Provinces of the River Plate granted fishing rights to Jorge Pacheco and Luis Vernet. Travelling to the islands in 1824, the first expedition failed almost as soon as it landed, and Pacheco chose not to continue with the venture.
In 1826: Vernet persisted with his fishing expeditions, but this second attempt was delayed until Winter 1826 by a Brazilian blockade, which was also unsuccessful. The expedition intended to exploit the ferel cattle left by the English on the islands but the boggy conditions meant the Gauchos could not catch cattle in their traditional way. Vernet was by now aware of British claims to the islands and sought permission from the British consulate before departing for the islands.
In 1828: the United Provinces government granted Vernet all of East Falklands including all its resources, and exempted him from taxation if a colony could be established within three years. He took settlers, including British Captain Matthew Brisbane (who had sailed to the islands earlier with Weddell, and before leaving once again sought permission from the British Consulate in Buenos Aires. The British asked for a report for the British government on the islands, and Vernet asked for British protection should they return.
June 10th 1829: Vernet was designated as ‘civil and military commandant’ of the islands (no Governor was ever appointed) and granted a monopoly on seal hunting rights. A protest was lodged by the British Consulate in Buenos Aires.
In the 1830s: Under British rule, Salvador Settlement was one of the earliest, being started by a British Gibraltarian immigrant (hence its other name of “Gibraltar Settlement”), and it is still run by his descendants, the Pitalugas.
By 1831: Under British rule, the Falkland Islands colony was successful enough to be advertising for new colonists, although the Lexington’s report suggests that the conditions on the islands were quite miserable.
In 1833: British explorer Charles Darwin confirmed the squalid conditions in the Falkland Island settlement, although Captain Matthew Brisbane (Vernet’s deputy) later claimed that this was the result of the Lexington raid.
January 3rd 1833: British Captain James Onslow, of the brig-sloop ‘HMS Clio’, arrived at Vernet’s settlement at Port Louis to request that the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate be replaced with the British one, and for the administration to leave the islands. While Lt. Col. José María Pinedo, commander of the schooner Sarandí, wanted to resist, his numerical disadvantage was obvious, particularly as a large number of his crew were British mercenaries who were unwilling to fight their own countrymen. Such a situation was not unusual in the newly independent states in Latin America, where land forces were strong, but navies were frequently quite undermanned. As such he protested verbally, but departed without a fight on 5 January. Argentina claims that Vernet’s colony was also expelled at this time, though sources from this time dispute this, suggesting that the colonists were encouraged to remain initially under the authority of Vernet’s storekeeper, William Dickson and later his deputy, Matthew Brisbane.
Initial British plans for the Islands were based upon the continuation of Vernet’s settlement at Port Louis. An Argentine immigrant of Irish origin, William Dickson, was appointed as the British representative and provided with a flagpole and flag to be flown whenever ships were in harbour.
March 1833: Vernet’s Deputy, Matthew Brisbane returned and presented his papers to British Captain Fitzroy of HMS Beagle, which coincidentally happened to be in harbour at the time. Fitzroy encouraged Brisbane to continue with Vernet’s enterprise with the proviso that whilst private enterprise was encouraged, Argentine assertions of sovereignty would not be welcome.
Brisbane re-asserted his authority over Vernet’s settlement and recommenced the practise of paying employees in promissory notes. Due to Vernet’s reduced status, the promissory notes were devalued, which meant that the employees received fewer goods at Vernet’s stores for their wages. After months of freedom following the Lexington raid this accentuated dissatisfaction with the leadership of the settlement.
August 1833: Under the leadership of Antonio Rivero, a gang of Creole and Indian gauchos ran amok in the settlement. Armed with muskets obtained from American sealers, the gang killed five members of Vernet’s settlement including both Dickson and Brisbane. Shortly afterward the survivors fled Port Louis, seeking refuge on Turf Island in Berkeley Sound until rescued by the British sealer ‘Hopeful’ in October 1833.
January 1834: Lt Henry Smith was installed as the first British resident. One of his first actions was to pursue and arrest Rivero’s gang for the murders committed the previous August. The gang was sent for trial in London but due to a quirk of the British Legal system could not be tried as the Crown Court did not have jurisdiction over the Falkland Islands. In the British colonial system, colonies had their own, distinct governments, finances, and judicial systems. Rivero was not tried and sentenced because the British local government and local judiciary had not yet been installed in 1834; these were created later, by the 1841 British Letters Patent. Subsequently, Rivero has acquired the status of a folk hero in Argentina, where he is portrayed as leading a rebellion against British rule. Ironically it was the actions of Rivero that were responsible for the ultimate demise of Vernet’s enterprise on the Falklands.
In 1834: British explorer Charles Darwin revisited the Falklands, Darwin and Fitzroyboth take their names from this visit.
In 1835: after the arrest of Rivero, British Lt. Smith set about restoring the settlement at Port Louis, repairing the damage done by the Lexington raid and renaming it ‘Anson’s Harbour’.
Vernet later attempted to return to the Islands but was refused permission to return. The British Crown reneged on promises and refused to recognise rights granted by Captain Onslow at the time of the reoccupation. Eventually, after travelling to London, Vernet received paltry compensation for horses shipped to Port Louis many years before.
G.T. Whittington obtained a concession of 6,400 acres (26 km2) from Vernet that he later exploited with the formation of the Falkland Islands Commercial Fishery and Agricultural Association.
In 1836: East Falkland was surveyed by British Admiral George Grey, on behalf of the British Crown.
November 1836: British Admiral George Grey conducted a geographic survey of East Falkland, on behalf of the British Crown.
In 1837: East Falkland survey was continued by British Admiral Lowcay.
April 1838: British Lt Lowcay succeeded Smith [1835-1838] in administering the Falklands, on behalf of the British Crown.
September 1839: British Lt Robinson succeeded Lowcay, in administering the Falklands, on behalf of the British Crown.
December 1839: British Lt Tyssen succeeded Robinson, in administering the Falklands, on behalf of the British Crown.
May 1840: the British Government made the decision to colonise the Falkland Islands.
Pressure to develop the islands as a colony began to mount as the result of a campaign mounted by British merchant G.T. Whittington. Whittington formed the Falkland Islands Commercial Fishery and Agricultural Association and (based on information indirectly obtained from Vernet) published a pamphlet entitled “The Falkland Islands”. Later a petition signed by London merchants was presented to the British Government demanding the convening of a public meeting to discuss the future development of the Falkland Islands. Whittington petitioned the Colonial Secretary, Lord Russell, proposing that his association be allowed to colonise the islands.
Unaware of the decision by the British to colonise the islands, Whittington grew impatient and decided to take action of his own initiative. Obtaining two ships, he sent his brother, J. B. Whittington, on a mission to land stores and settlers at Port Louis. On arrival he presented his claim to land that his brother had bought from Vernet. Lt. Tyssen was taken aback by Whittington’s arrival, indicating that he had no authority to allow this; however, he was unable to prevent the party from landing. Whittington constructed a large house for his party, and using a salting house built by Vernet established a fish-salting business.
In the 1840’s: Under British rule, with the establishment of the deep-water anchorage and improvements in port facilities, Stanley saw a dramatic increase in the number of visiting ships, in part due to the California Gold Rush. A boom in ship provisioning and ship-repair resulted, aided by the notoriously bad weather in the South Atlantic and around Cape Horn. Stanley and the Falkland Islands are famous as the repository of many wrecks of 19th century ships that reached the islands to be condemned as un-seaworthy and were often employed as floating warehouses by local merchants.
At one point in the 19th century, Stanley under British rule became one of the world’s busiest ports.
In 1841, The British Government continued with its plans to colonise the Falkland Islands, appointing the British Lt Richard Moody as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Islands. He was transported to the Falkland Islands aboard the ship Hebe.
October 1841: The British Lt Richard Moody took up residence as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Islands. Arriving in Ansons Harbour. He was accompanied by twelve sappers and miners and their families, together with Whittington’s colonists this brought the population of Anson’s Harbour to approximately 50.
In 1842: Lieutenant Governor Moody was instructed Lord Stanley the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies to report on the potential of the Port William area as the site of the new capital. Moody assigned the task of surveying the area to Captain Ross, leader of the Antarctic Expedition.
In 1843: British Captain Ross delivered his report, concluding that Port William afforded a good deep-water anchorage for naval vessels, and that the southern shores of Port Jackson was a suitable location for the proposed settlement. Not everyone was enthused with the selection of the location of the new capital, J. B. Whittington famously remarked that “Of all the miserable bog holes, I believe that Mr Moody has selected one of the worst for the site of his town.”
July 1843: Construction [under British rule] of the new Port William settlement started.
July 1845: At British Governor Moody’s suggestion the new capital of the islands was officially named Port Stanley after Lord Stanley.
In 1845: The structure of the British Colonial Government was established with the formation of the Legislative Council and Executive Council and work on the construction of Government House commenced.
In 1846: the first officers appointed to the Colonial Government took their posts, by this time a number of residences, a large storage shed, carpenter’s shop and blacksmiths shop had been completed and the Government Dockyard laid-out.
Until 1846: Moody had allotted feral cattle to new settlers and the new agreement not only prevented this but made Stanley dependent upon Lafone for supplies of Beef
In 1846: Vernet had furnished Samuel Fisher Lafone, a British merchant operating from Montevideo, with details of the Falklands Islands including a map. Sensing that the exploitation of feral cattle on the islands would be a lucrative venture, Lafone negotiated a contract with the British Government that gave him exclusive rights to this resource.
Cattle were concentrated in the southern part of East Falklands, an area that became known as Lafonia. Lafone was an absentee landlord and never actually set foot on the islands. His activities were not monitored by the British and rather than introducing more British settlers as he promised, he brought large numbers of Spanish and Indian Gauchos to hunt cattle.
In 1846: Hope Place was established on the south shores of Brenton Loch.
In 1847: Under British rule, Government House opened as the offices of the Lieutenant.
By 1849: Many of the British colonists had moved from Ansons Harbour to Port Stanley. As the new town expanded the population grew rapidly reaching 200. The population was further expanded by the arrival from London of 30 married Chelsea Pensioners and their families. The Chelsea Pensioners were to form the permanent garrison and police force taking over from the Royal Sappers and Miners Regiment who had garrisoned the early colony.
In 1849: Under British rule, a sod wall (the Boca wall) was built across the isthmus at Darwin to control the movement of cattle.
In 1849: Lafone continued to develop his Cattle business interests and looked to establish a joint stock company with his London creditors.
In 1850: In London a company was launched as the The Royal Falkland Land, Cattle, Seal and Fishery Company, soon thereafter this was incorporated under British Royal Charter as the The Falkland Islands Company Limited. British businessman Lafone became a director and his brother-in-law J.P.Dale the company’s first manager in the Falkland Islands.
By 1852: The feral cattle had been hunted virtually to extinction by Gauchos and the company switched to sheep farming with the introduction of the Cheviot breed of sheep.
Sheep farming became the dominant form of agriculture on the Islands.
In 1854: Under British rule, The Exchange Building opened, part of the building was later used as a church.
In 1854: Under British rule, the establishment of Marmont Row, including the Eagle Inn now known as the Upland Goose Hotel.
In 1859: Government House became the British Governor’s residence when Governor Moore took residence.
In 1860: The Lafone Beef contract was terminated but the Falkland Islands Company was given a grant to the area known as Lafonia. Ownership of the remaining cattle outside of Lafonia reverted to the British Government and hunting cattle without permission was banned.
Under British rule, in the second half of the 19th century, Darwin, Goose Green, Fox Bay and Port Howard were established.
In 1866: Port Howard was founded by James Lovegrove Waldron, and his brother; the Waldron brothers later left for Patagonia, but left the farm under local management.
In 1874: The first large tallow works in the islands (though not the first) was set up by the Falkland Island Company.
By 1876: Under British rule, the ship-repair trade began to slacken off with the establishment of the Plimsol Line, which saw the elimination of the so-called coffin ships and un-seaworthy vessels that might otherwise have ended up in Stanley for repair.
In 1878: Under British rule, so much peat had been mined as a fuel it lead to a peat slip. This resulted in the destruction of several houses.
In 1880: The Falkland Island Company handled 15,891 sheep.
By 1886: Under British rule, common on the islands peat has traditionally been exploited as a fuel. Uncontrolled exploitation of this natural resource lead to so much peat had been mined as a fuel it lead to a peat slip. This resulted in the deaths of two women and the destruction of the Exchange Building.
In 1887: Under British rule, Jubilee Villas were built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Jubilee Villas are a row of brick built houses that follow a traditional British pattern.
The 1890’s: Under British rule, with the introduction of increasingly reliable iron steamships the trade declined further.
In 1892: Under British rule, the Tabernacle United Free Church was consecrated, constructed from an imported timber kit.
In 1892: Christ Church Cathedral was consecrated and completed in 1903.
In 1914: Under British rule, trade was no longer viable following the opening of the Panama Canal. Port Stanley continued to be a busy port supporting whaling and sealing activities in the early part of the 20th century, British warships (and garrisons) in the First World War and also the Second World War and the fishing and cruise ship industries in the latter half of the century.
In 1933: Christ Church Cathedral received its famous whalebone arch, constructed from the jaws of two Blue Whales to commemorate the centenary of continuous British administration.
Thank you very much Brit Bird!
This government is nothing short of insipidity; displays rather venal behavior and reacts as if not being aware of the inauspicious impact decisions like these may have holistically. When you are part of these groupings, there is no partiality.
So if ALBA is so concerned about Argentina owning an island just off its shores, why aren’t they similarly concerned that Dominica does not own Bird Island? Let me hear the ‘Love our PM’ crowd answer that one! Tout Coshon ni samdi yo. Samdi compeere lapen kar veni!!!!
oops… alba. is that not the oil i does buy by astafan there nor. it was 6.99 now it 9.99 a litre bottle…
What flag does the Geest boat fly?
JUST THOUGHT I WOULD JOG ALL YOUR MEMORIES
Dominica
In the days prior to hitting Dominica, forecasters thought David would spare Dominica and hit Barbados instead. However, a turn in the hours before moving through the area caused the 150 mph (240 km/h) hurricane to make a direct hit on the southern part of Dominica.[3] During the storm’s onslaught, David dropped up to 10 inches (250 mm) of rain, causing numerous landslides on the mountainous island.[7] Hours of hurricane force winds severely eroded the coastlines and washed out coastal roads.[3]
Damage was greatest in the southwest portion of the island, especially in the capital city, Roseau, which resembled an air raid target after the storm’s passage. Strong winds from Hurricane David destroyed or damaged 80% of the homes on the island,[4] leaving 75% of the population homeless,[7] with many others temporarily homeless in the immediate aftermath.[3] In addition, the rainfall turned rivers into torrents, sweeping away everything in their path to the sea.[4] Power lines were completely ripped out, causing the water system to stop as well.
HMS Fife (a Royal Navy County Class Destroyer) was on its way back to the United Kingdom when the hurricane struck, and was turned back to provide emergency aid to the island. Sailing through mountainous seas The Fife docked in the main harbor at Roseau without assistance, and was the only outside help for several days. The crew provided work details and medical parties to offer assistance to the island and concentrated on the hospital buildings, the airstrip, and restoring power and water. The ship’s helicopter (called Humphrey) took medical aid into the hills to assist people who were cut off from getting to other help by fallen trees. The ship also used its radio systems to broadcast news and music to the island to inform the population of what was being done and how to get assistance. This was the first time a Royal Navy ship had provided a public broadcast news service
well well well, i cant wait to see who you all call for when one of the communist countries you all hang with invade you, or the next big hurricane like David strikes your shores and you all crying for help, or you all have to start having visa to get in to england, because the way your country going, for a small little island with NO army you sure all talking your mouths!!!!!!!
This is a clear indication of how Dominica is run, how the government operates. They do not have foresight, accept anything and then backtrack. We are seeing that ALBA is a Chavez thing – PM you fully understand how sick he is and you fear that the capitalist/left leaning Attorney/Governor the only one who can defeat Chavez is on the rise. It clearly shows that the WINDS might be blowing in a different direction down there in the near future.
The cheese stands alone – remember this line it will be a few after Chavez.
One cannot take back the SPOKEN WORD. Thanks for making everyone and allsides see that we cannot be trusted – the real you PM begins to come to the forefront even on the outside.
as an island nation who depend on shipping
we are not at the liberty to ban ships calling into our ports.
You guys need to read the articles carefully, when the islands join ALBA they made it claer that they will distance themselves from certain agreements because of the sovereignity to Commonwealth, CARICOM and OECS. yOU CAN BE APART OF A GROUP BUT NOT SUPPORT ALL TWHAT THE GROUP DOES.
Ryan it is interesting that you would make such a statement,
Skerritt and his DLP Govt. agreed to the decisions and subsequent Press release from the ALBA meeting. Is Dominica that disassociate or Skerrit and his Govt.? Why now should he disagree with that part of the statement dealing with the banning of ships with the colonial flag imposed on Malvinas from docking in our ports? The whole world already knows of that press release and all the Members of ALBA who agreed to the meetings decision.
No excuse or remarks of disassociation with the statement would suffice to change the situation. Of note, Dominica did not agree and later disagree with the statement. Dominicans are in the dark about those affairs. Frankly, it was Skerritt who agreed with the decision. Certainly, he did not get any go ahead from the people so to do. Realizing, too late of the irresponsibility and negative impact of such decisions, he was forced to retract. Is he scared of the repercussions? Why isn’t he standing firm with the decisions of the ALBA members? The damage has been done. The world is aware. For reign relations.
What a laugh.. disassociate how? MR PM when you joined ALBA and toted it around like the best thing in life, didn’t read the policies and manadate. These are empty and useless words. ALABA is all or nothing. Fighting CARICOM but joining ALBA and encouraging other islands to do it. You just have Dominica in tie. SKerrit really believes Dominica is a rum shop and he can wave a magic wand and things change to suit his calling. You will fool blind supporters but you know full well that being part of ALBA you can’t disassociate from anything, especially you. What you need to do is tell that to Alvarez and Chavez to their face
he will boil in his own pot
Now that Chavez ship is sinking, the P.M is jumping off early!!But what if Chavez’s successor shares his ideas and want to maintain the ALBA mantra?? Will the P.M go back on board??or will he walk away for good??
Thinking minds want to know .
Interesting development. I wonder why the change of heart. First Antigua backed out, then St. Vincent (Gonzalves saying it was symbolic gesture when they initially agreed), now Dominica. Hmmmmm. Chavez must be pissed.
Chavez either too weak to be pissed or cannot afford to get pissed because it my result in him getting even more ill than he seems to be at the moment! The better not be tied down by the terms and conditions of the Alba Agreement in the same way that we are tied down by the Memorandum of Understanding which cannot be disclosed because if we are, then we are really going down slowly!
our pm is one confused brother.
even now i’m confused
Not that I am for or against this issue, while our PM should have made his position clear from the beginning, are you saying that England should hold the Caribbean to ransom and tamper with our economies based on this statement from Alba? We need to look beyond the local politics and look at how in this 21st century, countries (both UK and Argentina) still want to have ‘colonies’ at the cost of their young soldiers. You must check the history of this conflict. “Might is not always right”
“in 1982 Unlike the people of Argentina, the majority of people in the UK had no previous awareness that Britain still maintained a remnant of empire off the south east coast of Latin America; (they thought it was near Scotland) but nevertheless within a very few days they were roused to militaristic fervor on behalf of the 1,820 inhabitants of that outpost, who were nearly all of British descent and wanted to remain subjects of Britain, not Argentina.
907 people, most of them very young men, were killed in the war that followed- equivalent to almost half the number of those on whose behalf the war was supposedly fought- a further 1,965 were injured, many of them permanently disabled. Hundreds more of the combatants have since succumbed to mental illness, drug or alcohol addiction, and suicide, as a result of the psychological scars which they received.”
More information is available on this site and many others: http://21stcenturysocialism.com/article/who_owns_the_falklands_01968.html; http://www.falklands.info/history/hist82article11.html
Boy, we have a habit of opening our mouths before thinking and end up throwing stones at our own windows. What problem do we have with the U.K.? Argentinians have to apply for a visa to to visit the U.K., we don’t! When we decided to become an indpendent nation the right of self-determination played a large part in that decision. Why should we deny the same to the inhabitants of the Falkland Island?
The US is watching this area now. ARE YOU SCARED PM. So you are watching what you say now. hmmm!
That’s a good and wise decision Mr PM.
Don’t follow Chavez and his nonsenses
It is too late Mr PM ,you are not to be trusted and the Brits are blind nor dumb, you will fool your self and your blind supporters, not too long ago at a pub in Bradford a British mate ask, that very same question regarding your ALBA connection and you close affiliation with Chavez, Sir in the eyes of the Brits the damage is already done, feel sorry for my fellow Dominican, your pic was all over the news in London where you expressed your support sir,as a fourth generation with Dominica roots it is too late, retracting your words only do more harm
My Parent parent migrated to the UK on the banana ship in the early sixties and did well in the UK many of my families migrated to the UK and they are doing well, some holding high profile jobs, sending parcels to family members back in Dominica was a must, not forget money to take care of grand parents and family members back home, reading some of the anti sentiments comments being posted by some Dominicans do hurt you know, I am a British by birth, Dominican parents, poor judgement wrong move Mr Prime Minister, as a child growing up my parent words were “SHOW ME YOUR COMPANY AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE” read between the lines
Well that is confusion. Members of the organisation, ALBA, unanimously agreed to the decisions taken at the meeting. The Press release/statement ended with a confirmation that member states of ALBA, “support the decision made by the countries of the region to ban ships with the colonial flag imposed on the Malvinas from entering their ports.”
So for Skerritt and his DLP Govt. to say now that it disassociates itself from statements from the ALBA meeting, regarding the banning of ships, and that Govt. has not granted its support to any call for the region to ban those said ships, is confusing to say the least.
Did Skerritt tell the ALBA meeting of his non-support for the idea? Did he express disagreement with the statement in front of the other ALBA members present at that meeting? The other Latin American members must be looking at Antigua and Dominica as “crooks” agreeing to one thing, then doing a 360 degree turn and disassociating themselves with the statement.
The Skerritt DLP Govt. would not be part of the new currency, the “SUCRE” because they must have remembered our EC dollar and the relationship with the ECCB. Govt. does not have money to deposit into a proposed ALBA bank. Now after agreeing with ALBA’s statement, it retracts and makes excuses. If that is not total confusion, then what?
‘see them run like cowards’ song by: A BAND CALLED PAIN
THE ISLAND BELONG TO ARGENTINA GEOGRAFICALLY, IT TOOK ENGLAND A WHOLE WEEK TO GET IT”S NAVAL SHIPS TO GET THERE DURING THE WAR.IT TOOK ARGENTINA LESS THAN AN HOUR.
THE MEVINAS HAVE A BUNCH OF OLD BRITISH SETTLERS, AND A MILLION SHEEP, ENGLAND SHOULD LET IT GO.
Just as Bird Island belongs to us right? What hypocrisy!!!!!
And yet, despite the distance the British beat the crap out of the Argentinians, defending the rights of their fellow country men, instead of abandoning them. So much for old British settlers! As for the “sheep”, at least that flock has a shepherd who cares. It’s referred to as a question of “principle” but perhaps that is alien to you Anonymous.
Anonymous why do you feel that Argentina have any rights, the people chose their own path in a referendum.
Argentina is over 350 miles from the Falklands, they have no right by occupation, tenure, ownership or for any other reason to a claim for the islands. The Argentines decided to grab the islands by military force, they were beaten by and surrendered to the British.
The British have a long and detailed history regarding the islands.
The Falkland people under a UN charter have the right to determine their own future. In a referendum they were offered the options of becoming part of Argentina, being a part of a duel administration of British and Argentinian, to be self owned and administered, to remain under British rule, they chose the latter.
PM what is your position? why you flip flopping so. You guys like to join organisation and when big fish come to swallow allu, allu backing back like cowards. How Dominica end up putting itself in Falkland Island issue
And it cannot even stand for its own Bird Island which is in the same position. Cordi Carette ‘what UTTER RUBBISH is that’ One word.
Although I don’t support this government, I agree with the regional stance against britain on this issue. The falkland islands belong to argentina and britain should respect argentinas sovereignty..
On the other hand, this alba this is getting me a bit worried… Why is it that every time our government rep comes from an ALBA summit there is always some kind of damage control…. First it was the military aspect, then it was the sucre,then the foreign reserves and now some ship story….
Is this alba arrangement really in our best interest???
If you agree with them on this issue then would you also agree that they should hand over Bird Island to us as well? If your answer is yes then we in the same boat.
hhhmmm why all of a sudden they running scared nuh…. allu forgot its the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England that controlling our Central Bank…. zor kay bon tannnnnnn
wo, se yo pas tann, yo kay sangtee