The prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has written to the leaders of Guyana and Venezuela over a controversial photo that showed him and his foreign minister standing behind a papier-mâché map which depicted the disputed Essequibo Region as part of Venezuela.
Gonsalves described the photo as “unfortunate” saying he was unaware of the photo before it started circulating.
The photo in question was uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, with a caption that reads in Spanish, “Very emblematic image of the PM of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, paying honors to the Liberator Simón Bolívar with a Map of Venezuela that includes our Essequibo.”
“It has been drawn to my attention that a photograph, taken in December 2022, in which I appeared with other persons ostensibly showing a “papier-mâché” depiction of a map of Venezuela which, controversially, includes the Essequibo or part of it, has surfaced/resurfaced on social media,” Gonsalves said to Presidents Dr. Irfaan Ali of Guyana and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela in a letter dated January 4.
According to Gonsalves, he was advised the event where the photo was taken “was one commemorating the life and work of the great Liberator, Simon Bolivar” which took place on the grounds of the residence/ office of the Charge d’Affaires of Venezuela to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“I do not recall ever seeing this photograph before its current circulation,” he said in his letter.
“I am informed that photographs were being taken in front of flags of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela and a bust of Bolivar. While the photographs were being taken, I am advised that someone attached to the Venezuelan Embassy placed the “papier-mâché” depiction of the said map in front of us. I did not look at what the depiction was. I assumed that it was about Simon Bolivar.”
The Vincentian leader stated that it is rather unfortunate that the incident, which he described as an “innocent inadvertence” on his part, is being “used by some to drum up, unnecessarily, antipathy of one kind or another.”
“I understand all the emotions attendant on this controversial issue, and from time-to-time there will be flare-ups. As always, though, we as leaders must maintain a patience and a calm knowing that sun brightens stone, even as the river burns”, he wrote.
Gonsalves said he has spoken to Ali and Vice President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo, who he said are his “good friend[s],” about the matter and he hopes everything has been put to rest “where it ought properly to reside among the assorted ghosts from the past, which ought never to rule us from the grave.”
In December 2023, Venezuela held a referendum in which the government of the Spanish-speaking country said that more than 95% of Venezuelan voters approved ownership over the land which makes up more than two-thirds of Guyana.
The move has drawn regional condemnation from CARICOM, of which Guyana is a member, saying “international law strictly prohibits the government of one State from unilaterally seizing, annexing or incorporating the territory of another state. An affirmative vote as aforesaid opens the door to the possible violation of this fundamental tenet of international law.”
The two sides met in St Vincent on December 14 last year to discuss the matter and agreed to the Argyle Declaration, which aimed at easing tension between them. The declaration stated that both sides would meet in Brazil within the next three months to continue discussions and in his letter, Gonsalves said he was “profoundly encouraged” by a letter from the president of Guyana to his Venezuelan counterpart to the first such meeting “to advance further the Argyle Declaration and its purposes.”
Just like Skerrit he owes it to Venezuela (ALBA) to support them in any regional or international conflict. Dominica, Antigua and St. Vincent were the only OAS states to vote directly in favor of Venezuela when they were being challenged by leadership of the OAS for the Venezuelan government’s violation of human rights during the protests of 2014 and beyond. So much so that those three countries names are now noted in the U.S. congressional record on that very issue.
In this case they just have a conflict of interest because they also owe alleigance to Guyana who is part of Caricom. This “convtroversy” is just a result of that conflict of interest. Either that or the “comrade” Ralph is a complete idiot and unaware of important regional issues or what that image means in reference to that specific issue. I highly doubt that that is the case. More than likely he just didn’t care because at the time it wasn’t that big of an issue
‘You lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.’ The attention seeking trouble maker, Venezuela and Maduro, cannot be trusted!
Controversy sells and makes for high ratings in the media. Comrade Ralph, whether inadvertently or not, should have been more attentive and alert when engaged in any public events. Cameras and photographers are ubiquitous in this era of technology, ready to snap anything that courts controversy.