What Hypocrisy?

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Feb 25, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chairman, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has dismissed allegations that the regional integration grouping was being hypocritical when it voiced concerned about the ongoing situation in Venezuela, while remaining silent on the political developments in St. Kitts-Nevis.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace had criticized the 15-member grouping for remaining “deafeningly silent” even as a motion of no confidence against the Dr. Denzil Douglas government in St. Kitts-Nevis has not been debated for more than a year.

“What I find most disheartening, is the deafening silence of the other CARICOM governments who appear to wish that this situation in St. Kitts did not exist,” Eustace said, adding that the regional leaders “should hang their heads in shame for condoning this unacceptable state of affairs.

“CARICOM ignores the situation in St. Kitts but makes a firm statement in support of (President Nicolas) Maduro in Venezuela indicating ‘that no democratic society can reasonably pursue disorder or any unwanted subversion of democratic institutions,” Eustace said.

But Gonsalves, who is also Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said Eustace was confusing the issues before him and that the two events were dissimilar.

“There is no hypocrisy there. Where in CARICOM statement is it hypocritical?” he said, adding that in St. Kitts-Nevis, two elected parliamentarians crossed the floor and joined the opposition.