PM TO ATTEND SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS IN CALIFORNIA

Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne will be attending the 9th Summit of the Americas in the United States this week, reversing an earlier decision he had taken against attending amidst the US’ exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The Office of the Prime Minister has confirmed that Prime Minister Browne and his wife, Housing Minister Hon. Maria Browne, will be leaving the island on Tuesday for Los Angeles to attend the hemispheric summit.
Minister Maria Browne will attend forums for First Ladies and wives attending the Summit.
Prime Minister Browne and other Western Hemisphere leaders will discuss building a sustainable and resilient future along with democracy, technology and pandemic resilience.
Prime Minister Browne had initially indicated he would not be attending the Summit because of the US’ alienation of the three countries which it sees as its ideological and geopolitical adversaries.
The head of government explained CARICOM held a special caucus on the issue of attendance at the summit and leaders decided that they should attend due to the United States softening its position toward Cuba and Venezuela.
Prime Minister Browne says Caribbean leaders will use the opportunity to defend the Caribbean’s position noting that the United States has shown some interest in the Caribbean during the COVID pandemic by providing vaccines and PPEs.
He says Washington should go further by helping countries of the region to put together a “post-COVID Marshall Plan to salvage our economies.”
The reference to the Marshall Plan or European Recovery Programme harks back to the US’ assistance to countries of Western Europe following the devastation of World War II between 1939 and 1945.
It was brainchild of U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall, after whom it was named and resulted in some 15 billion dollars being provided by the US to aid in rebuilding efforts in Europe.