00:00 (Music)
00:11 Hi, welcome to the interview with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Gaston
00:18 Browning. Mr. Gaston Browning, Mr. Prime Minister, how was the atmosphere that you feel in this
00:26 new period of the United Nations General Assembly?
00:30 Well, you know, it's an important assembly for us to hear our views on various hemispheric and
00:38 international issues. There are many issues even within our own hemisphere, the issue of Haiti,
00:46 stabilizing Haiti, restoring democracy, and, you know, perhaps we can, for once and for all, I mean,
00:53 put Haiti on the path of prosperity. So that is one of the hemispheric issues. You know that
01:00 issue of climate change, that is a global issue. It is the most significant existential threat
01:06 facing all of humanity. Small states in the Caribbean, we are on the front lines of climate
01:11 change. We continue to suffer from the consequences of these ferocious storms, frequent storms,
01:18 and even other aspects of climate change that is hurting us, practically all aspects of
01:24 climate change. So ocean acidification, the bleaching of our coral reefs, sea level rise
01:32 as a result of the warming of the seas, heat waves, droughts, floods, all of the consequences.
01:39 So, you know, the United Nations General Assembly gave us the opportunity to come here and to speak
01:46 about those issues. More recently, we have seen a proliferation of ammunition and guns, and guns and
01:54 and ammunition, and we have seen an increase in homicides as a result of these guns. But the irony
02:02 is they're not manufactured in the Caribbean. They're imported primarily from the United States.
02:06 They represent a significant threat to us in terms of the amount of homicides. In fact, we now have
02:11 about three times the amount of homicides per thousand of the global average, and it is because
02:19 of, you know, those guns that have been imported in the Caribbean, obviously mostly used by those
02:25 involved in the narcotics trade, but also using those guns to hurt innocent people. That's an
02:32 issue that many of us would have addressed during this assembly. There's also the looming threat of
02:38 autonomous weapons. I know that developed countries are using them to target the enemies,
02:44 but if they get in the hands of the wrong individuals, they can become a serious threat for
02:49 us. You know, they use facial recognition technology, and they can program these drones to
02:55 hurt you. I recall some years ago, there's one that was used in Venezuela, in which they are
03:01 trying to take out President Maduro. So certainly the people of Venezuela can identify with the
03:07 threat of these autonomous weapons. And I'm saying here that, you know, it's a very significant
03:13 threat, and we are certainly advocating for a treaty that will control or maybe ban the production
03:21 of that type of technology that could be so lethal to our people and obviously could undermine our
03:27 development. So there are a myriad of issues, climate, the issues with Cuba and Venezuela.
03:35 We think what the United States is doing to Cuba is cruel, and we continue to advocate for the
03:42 sanctions to be lifted. They say, for example, that Cuba is involved in state-sponsored terrorism.
03:48 They know it's not true, and they need to take them off the list. I mean, the situation in
03:51 Venezuela, we have made a plea as well for them to discontinue the sanctions against Venezuela.
03:58 They're hurting the Venezuelan people. They are literally contributing to the exodus of
04:02 Venezuelans because of the hardships that the sanctions have created. But even within the
04:07 Caribbean region, those of us who benefited from Petro-Caribbean, we too are suffering,
04:11 and we're innocent. We haven't done anything to offend the United States. But at the same time,
04:15 we can't avail ourselves of fuel from Pedevisa, which in the past would have acted as a price
04:22 stabilization mechanism for Caribbean countries who were getting petroleum products on the
04:27 Petro-Caribbean. So these are some of the inequities that we continue to advocate within
04:32 the UN forum. And we're hoping that our voices will not fall in deaf ears and that there will
04:39 be some transformational changes that will be done to the benefit of all.
04:42 In your speech, you said that the world was forgotten the developing countries. What do you
04:49 mean?
04:50 Well, I literally quoted Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General. He said that the world has
04:57 failed developing countries, and that is true. There are so many issues plaguing us and issues
05:03 that we did not create. I mean, the problem with climate is not as a result of developing
05:08 countries, barring a few emerging economies now like China and India that are now involved in
05:14 the profligate use of fossil fuels. The historical emitters would have been the large, powerful,
05:20 developed countries. So they were the ones who created the problem with climate change. And
05:25 developing countries are suffering the consequences. Even the whole issue about
05:29 developed countries making adequate funding available for loss and damage, for adaptation
05:36 and mitigation, we continue to struggle to get them to respond. And we're the ones who have to
05:40 contend with these climate events. We have to borrow at high interest rates in order to recover
05:45 economies and damage buildings. They're literally destroying lives and livelihoods in developing
05:52 countries as a result of the profligate use of fossil fuels. And again, we have been pressing
05:59 through these cops for them to reduce the emissions. And hopefully, as fallen and deaf
06:04 is to the extent now we're getting dangerously close to that 1.5. And the interesting thing is
06:08 if we get up to 1.5, we know exceed 1.5, then there will be irreparable damages. And again,
06:14 it is developing countries that will suffer the most, especially SIDS,
06:19 small island and developing states. And we have made a point to that issue of climate
06:23 justice and reparatory justice. They're inextricably linked. I mean, they're the ones
06:27 who in the first instance, enslaved our forebears, had them work centuries for free, while they
06:34 repatriated all the profits of Europe and North America to build out the economies. As a result,
06:39 they're extremely wealthy. And they would have benefited from the Industrial Revolution.
06:43 And the waste from the Industrial Revolution would have polluted our planet to the extent that the
06:47 same people who suffered under slavery are now suffering climate injustice. So these are very
06:55 vexing issues. And we think that we have a right to live comfortably on the earth and to enjoy the
07:01 earth's resources, not for the resources to be capitalized by one group of countries called
07:06 developed countries, but for us to benefit equitably, because we're fundamentally one
07:11 and the same people. We all had a common grandmother 200,000 years ago. Notwithstanding
07:18 differential in hair texture, color of skin and eyes and so on, we are one and the same.
07:22 And it means, therefore, there has to be global cooperation. There has to be greater multilateralism
07:28 as we cooperate to resolve all of the threats facing the planet, facing all of humanity,
07:34 and not to leave some people impoverished while the mighty and the wealthy continue to live
07:39 comfortably. Because, you know, at the end of the day, you know, I mean, we may be the first,
07:44 for example, to go based on the climate damages, but their fate will be no different, because their
07:50 time will come too. Prime Minister, speaking about IT, are you agree with this propose,
07:59 somebody proposed to send a special force? There are many proposals. The reality is the
08:05 situation in Haiti has to be resolved. I'm of the view it has to be internally led. And I'm a
08:09 little disappointed in the sense that the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Henry, is not taking
08:13 the kind of leadership. What seems to be required now is a broad-based government that can provide
08:19 the kind of leadership with the support of the international community to have this multilateral
08:23 force to assist with the stabilization of the country, to address the issue of the gangs,
08:29 while at the same time providing financial resources to deal with the humanitarian crisis.
08:34 And also to concurrently restore the democratic institutions so that they can have presidential
08:40 elections and to elect a new president as soon as possible. So that is the general framework. And
08:46 again, as I said before, it has to be Haitian led and supported by the regional and international
08:52 community. What are the major problems that the people from the Caribbean countries are facing
08:59 right now? Well, the most significant threat for us at this point is climate change. And it is the
09:04 most significant existential threat facing all of humanity. So we continue to advocate strenuously.
09:12 We've even taken the matter to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.
09:17 The hearing continues until the 25th, started on the 11th of September. And we are literally
09:23 trying to hold these large polluters accountable so that we can protect our lives and livelihoods
09:28 in the Caribbean. So climate change is more significant. We also have the issue of debt.
09:33 We've had to borrow repeatedly to repair damaged infrastructure, and that in itself
09:38 would have created a debt overhang. So we also need to find creative ways to
09:42 place our debt on a sustainable pathway. We've been pushing the national community to provide
09:48 debt restructuring, debt swaps, debt for climate swaps, and other mechanisms to assist us to
09:55 achieve some level of debt sustainability. But again, they have not been very responsive,
09:59 and we just have to continue to fight on. I have to take the opportunity to thank President Maduro
10:05 in that he would have assisted a number of Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda,
10:09 with a partial debt right to offer 50 percent of the amounts owed for the petroleum products. And
10:15 that in itself would have helped to reduce our debt to GDP. I believe Jamaica, St. Vincent
10:20 and the Grenadines and other countries that have benefited. And you know what is interesting,
10:24 you have a country that is struggling, providing that kind of relief for others. And you find
10:29 wealthy countries, even the United States in this hemisphere, which is the wealthiest country on the
10:33 planet, you know, has not been – or have not been as responsive as even countries that do not quite
10:40 have resources. So kudos to President Maduro and the government and people of Venezuela for the
10:45 responsiveness to the needs of the Caribbean people.
10:48 Thank you. Thank you, Prime Minister Brown, for your time with Telesur today. Thank you very much.
10:54 Cheers. Blessings.
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