CARICOM will not interfere in Venezuela’s internal affairs says Secretary General

LaRocque addressed a press conference on Monday

Secretary General of CARICOM, Irwin LaRocque has made it clear that the regional bloc will not interfere in the sovereign affairs of Venezuela.

CARICOM Heads of Government will meet in Grenada from July 4 to 6, and LaRocque stated the crisis in the troubled South American country is not on the agenda but it might be discussed.

“The agenda for the Heads of Government meeting will be adopted on Wednesday morning and I guess we will see what emerges out of that agenda,” he said at a press conference on Monday.

He stated that there are basic principles which unite CARICOM on the matter.

“I wish however to say to you that there are some basic principles that the Community has elaborated and these principles still hold,” he remarked. “All our member states ascribe to the statement issued by the COFCOR, the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, of none interference, none intervention in the internal affairs of the sovereign state of Venezuela. This holds despite what you may have read about a particular text being considered at the OAS, these principles hold.”

He added, “I think we have to wait for the outcome of the meeting to see what statements will come out of this meeting on Venezuela if any. We have basic principles we are united on that continue to inform our approach to dealing with Venezuela and whether or not the matter is discussed, we have to wait to see what is the outcome of the meeting.”

However, evidence suggests that the political and economic crisis that has engulfed Venezuela has divided CARICOM.

At an Organization of American States (OAS) general assembly in Mexico recently, there was no united front on a resolution aimed at addressing the Venezuelan situation, despite calls for unity among CARICOM states.

Jamaica’s foreign minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, said CARICOM votes splintered on the resolution “despite significant efforts to coordinate positions”.

Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines voted against the resolution while Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Guyana and St Lucia supported it. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago abstained.

The resolution, which ultimately failed, included a proposal for a ‘group of friends’ to mediate the crisis and it also called for President Nicolas Maduro to “reconsider” an assembly to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution.

About 82 people have died in Venezuela in the crisis and there appears to be no end in sight.

People march in the rain during a rally against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro’s government in Caracas, Venezuela, June 29, 2017. Credit: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

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32 Comments

  1. i knw my rights
    July 6, 2017

    all these ppl need is food and water and medicine. they’ve helped to many CARICOM countries to be like this. i hate to see ppl suffer and i think dominica should atleast help in one way or another. if was us they would have helpt us.. do something CARICOM PLEASEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Bingyman
    July 5, 2017

    My friend Irwin – you are wrong on this one. Just like we were all wrong keeping quiet when Maurice was locking up dissidents and stifling the press in Grenada. We all intervened in South Africa – remember? Its time to be on the right side of history. Maduro has refused to respect the Venezuelan constitution and does not deserve to remain in power unless he allows and wins the referendum that the voters lawfully requested. Remember:
    “Freedom only for the supporters of the government, only for the members of one party – however numerous they may be – is no freedom at all. Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently. Not because of any fanatical concept of “justice” but because all that is instructive, wholesome and purifying in political freedom depends on this essential characteristic, and its effectiveness vanishes when “freedom” becomes a special privilege.” Rosa Luxemburg

  3. Ernest
    July 4, 2017

    When good people do nothing bad grows… When God people chooses to do or say nothing the enemy use his fools to spread misery.

  4. Attention Kareem!

    By David Jessop

    “Just because he did not say they are in Guyana, does not mean he is the only source of information.”

    Last month, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) produced a worrying ‘situational update’ on the implications of the accelerating numbers of Venezuelans arriving in Trinidad, Brazil and Colombia.

    The Geneva based body said that over 40,000 Venezuelans are now present in Trinidad and Tobago, and there are around 20,000 to 30,000 in Brazil’s Roraima province, which borders Venezuela. It also noted that 100,000 Venezuelans have sought refuge in Colombia in the previous six months, with vastly larger numbers having arrived previously. The report did not include Guyana, or Curacao where local media coverage and anecdotal evidence indicate a rapid increase in the number of arrivals.

    The UNCHR went on to observe that, while it was difficult to predict whether there will be massive cross border movements of…

    • Continue:

      Continue:

      The UNCHR went on to observe that, while it was difficult to predict whether there will be massive cross border movements of persons “the ‘drip-drop’ arrival of Venezuelans has now become a steady flow; (and) current trends suggest that out-flows are unlikely to subside in the near term”.

      Its situational report also noted that there was no consistent effort to register the number of Venezuelan nationals entering or leaving any of the three nations; indigenous groups were being displaced; and “in certain areas, armed groups and illicit trade interests” were exploiting newly arrived persons, and the local population.

      In Trinidad’s case, the UNCHR said that it is now working on programmes aimed at addressing the capacity needs of the immigration authorities. It had also identified the need for training the country’s security and law enforcement authorities in the requirements of international law; has noted the need to improve the technical…

    • Finally:

      It had also identified the need for training the country’s security and law enforcement authorities in the requirements of international law; has noted the need to improve the technical capacity to address the potential response that might be required; and has said that there is a need to tackle incidents of xenophobia. It indicated too that dedicated donor support may become necessary “should additional arrivals increase dramatically”.

      Research the original article you will get more information, which will prevent you from talking crap: The Pan American Highway, suppose to run across all of South America, including Venezuela, I do not know how you can say there is no road between Guyana and Venezuela!

      You are either stupid or sot or something!

  5. free
    July 4, 2017

    CARICOM is a waste..you all cannot be seeing persons dying for lack of so much and not even sending help..OMG

  6. FORKIT
    July 4, 2017

    when regime change in Venezuela, i think there will be serious repercussions for those leaders and countries that did not stand with the people…

  7. Jonathan St jean
    July 4, 2017

    What the hell does that mean?What military resources does Caricom have as a block to commit to direct interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela or what purchasing power for oil does Caricom have to interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela.Sounds like a lot of hog wash to me.No one sees Caricom as having the leverage to meddle in the internal affairs of Venezuela,however there are things that Caricom can and should do to assist with bringing calm to our sister hemispheric nation.How about a mediation effort as proposed by the US Ambassador recently.How about coming together and providing some humanitarian relief to the suffering people there.Since when trying to bring two sides in a dispute together to try and figure a peaceful way out interfering in the internal affairs of a country and since when Caricom can’t find distinguished and competent sons and daughters of the region to attempt to do that.This statement is intellectual garbage talk

  8. Dominican Passports
    July 4, 2017

    As if black people does ever fight against corruption, expect nothing less from these cowards :-o

  9. Iamanidiot
    July 4, 2017

    But to me, every area caricom is called upon they claim they will not interfere.

  10. Let The Truth Be Known - Original
    July 3, 2017

    Irwin is correct. Furthermore, not one of them can agree and have a feasible suggestion on how to go about addressing the issue and their feelings on this matter.
    I have stated this is the Venezuela’s opposition doing why his supporters are out on the streets protesting and some are dying. When people are out protesting, they are obviously not employed and are not able to help the economy to grow. I hope the leader of the opposition feeds them and pays their bills.
    Instead of arguing and insulting others for making this wise statement on not interfering, God wants you to pray for Venezuela, your country, yourself and others. Good actions are wrought through fervent prayers. Let us pray that a miracle will occur and the Venezuela protests will cease for it is only harming those who protest.

  11. July 3, 2017

    What can caricom do? Voting yes on a resolution is a waste of time. Best advice is to let Venezuela sort out their issues.

  12. July 3, 2017

    Best thing to do wi!

  13. freedom fighter
    July 3, 2017

    If we (caricom) don’t take a stand to help our brothers and sisters in venequela we’ll have our self to blame. I believe caricom should call on Maduro to step down or call fresh elections; that’s what the people are demanding. If not I believe either China or Russia will take over venequela.

  14. Irvin, all of your confounded rhetoric are simply blowing off hot air, which by the time it exists your mouth it cools off! Indeed Venezuela sovereign nation; nevertheless, no matter how many people Maduro kills in the streets of Venezuela, some of you in CARICOM will support the dictator.

    There is a caption on DNO which where Roosevelt Skerrit said he is standing in Solidarity with Venezuela, Whereas he is in Solidarity, means he is supporting the regime no matter how many are slaughtered , or how many are driven out of their country to escape hunger.

    There are forty (40,000.00) thousand such people who have fled to Trinidad, not counting thousands who fled to Guyana, and neighboring South America countries, on foot, even as far as Brazil! Shut up boy, just shut up! You all cannot interfere because you are all puppets of the dictator!

    When he say to Skerrit jump, you all ask him how high!

    • Kareem
      July 4, 2017

      Your statistics wrong. And on foot? Common man let’s be practical. It’s almost impossible to go from Venezuela to Guyana on foot or by car since there’s no roads just a gigantic forest. Thousands of Venezuelans are not in Guyana

      • Kareem, perhaps you need a lesson in Geography, the more stupid people like you are it is the quicker you expedite your stupidity, trying to contradicted people who you cannot compete with educationally; you are an idiot!

        Venezuela is located on the same land mass of South America, next to Guyana Suriname French Guiana, and Brazil. Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina are all located on the same land mass of South America. The Falkland island is located East of Argentina just above Cape Horn at the bottom of South America.

        When you read anything I write before you attempt to critique me, you had better do noisome research, because by the time I am finished with you I’ll leave you standing in my dust, bewildered as the idiot you are!

        The information, you are reading here; was taught me in elementary school in Wesley. I am college and university graduated, okay! So, watch your stupid manners!

        How can you say my statistics are wrong when you are…

      • Finally:

        How can you say my statistics are wrong when you are an idiot who has absolutely no knowledge of geography? For your information fool you can walk from Venezuela to where I reside in Los Angeles. It will take you years to do it; but it can accomplished.

        Have you ever heard, of the Pan America Highway? Idiot it runs from North America through south America. You are an idiot, shut up!

        I told many of you in the past a smart phone, or computer cannot make you smart, if you have no academics your best option is to simply read and shut up if you do not have the knowledge to counter someone argument.

        Who am I am arguing with? You have no damn name, I am Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque out of Wesley, very well academically educated!

      • Anonymous
        July 4, 2017

        Hungry people are like kool bwa, trust me.

  15. %
    July 3, 2017

    Stuppesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!
    And the same CARICOM,sent police officers here in failed DOMINICA,to investigate a coup undertaken by a stalled musical truck against the Skerrit regime? (according to Skerrits intelligence).As a CARICOM citizen,if I could,I would DISBAND the grouping forthwith.Its irrelevant and useless.How can decent heads of government sit among others who steal elections,kill institutions of state,repeatedly hobnob wirh rogues and criminals,AND STAY SILENT?This genre of political leaders today is nothing but a doggone disgrace to what I knew leadersip to be.

  16. July 3, 2017

    We can only pray for things to be better. This is a calculated effort by foreign superpowers who are suppressing us all slowly but surely. Mantenga fuerte Venezuela!

    • FORKIT
      July 4, 2017

      you msut be the epitome of an A$$. blaming bad management on other countries.. sort

    • NKRUMAH KWAME
      July 4, 2017

      Que te vayas al carajo Shana!
      HOTEP!

    • Dante Jones
      July 4, 2017

      Tranquilo que estan fuertes en la calle. No le queda mucho a ese hdp de Maduro

    • July 5, 2017

      Venezuela cannot “stay strong” when it’s been weakened for over a decade by the corruption, inefficiency, and incompetence that were brought by socialism in general and Maduro in particular.

  17. July 3, 2017

    Yes Mr. LaRocque, let us allow Venezuelans to sort out their affairs on their own. Who are we to interfere in the peoples affairs?

  18. Tjebe fort
    July 3, 2017

    What principles Irwin? That we must allow people to starve because it is more important to keep a so called “democratically” elected dictator in power? Besides, how could you intervene anyway with a lot of Caricom members owing Venezuela money and we have a Caricom army or do we? We cannot even unite ourselves after all these years. Why do we have to have a separate OECS, just to give a monopoly to some business people?
    It is best you had not said anything.

    • “keep a so called “democratically” elected dictator in power?

      The regime in Venezuela is far from resembling anything which appears Democratic, the system is autocracy! In the rule of an autocracy the power is vested in one person, this unlimited power we is in the hands of the Venezuelan dictator.

      We see that same power has overwhelmed Roosevelt Skerrit and has him inebriated, that is why he declared to the nation “he is in solidarity with Maduro.”

      Birds of a feather flocked together; rogues supports each other, the same as there is no honor among thieves!

  19. Shaka Zulu
    July 3, 2017

    I hope when member countries have internal issues we will not see RSS officers from other countries involved in domestic issues. Caricom members who want to stay out are a joke and it is because of one reason. The amount of money the received from Maduro and his band of misfits. What is wrong in trying to get a friend to reconsider his actions for the sake of his people. True friends tell you when you are wrong and are honest with you whether you like it or not. Dominica had diplomatic relationship with Venezuela way before Chavez and Maduro and will continue beyond. Caricom is and has been a joke.

    • Just Me
      July 3, 2017

      Amen to that!

    • Kareem
      July 4, 2017

      people who were affected by Tropical Storm Erica and other Dominicans benefiting from Maduro doe.

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