- 2 years ago
We present the Special interview with Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia. Castries restarted relations with Caracas in 2021 and some concrete actions have enhanced bilateral ties. teleSUR
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00:00 Hello, welcome to Tell Us Your English.
00:10 I'm your anchor Gladys Quesada from Caracas, Venezuela.
00:13 And at this moment I'm in one of the main halls of the Yellow House, La Casa Amarilla,
00:19 the seat of the foreign ministry of Venezuela.
00:21 And I'm honored to receive the Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Philip J. Peer.
00:27 You're welcome, Prime Minister.
00:28 Thank you very much.
00:30 So it's a pleasure to receive you here and to have you here with us.
00:34 So one of the main questions I think today is that two years ago, back in July 2021,
00:43 when you took office, and then in August of 2021 too, you announced the reestablishment
00:49 of bilateral relationships with Venezuela.
00:53 And I think the first question will be how both countries, how your office, your administration,
00:59 has enhanced this desire and has materialized these policies.
01:03 Well, first of all, I want to thank the government of Venezuela and the president for inviting
01:09 me to Venezuela.
01:10 St. Lucia has been friends with Venezuela from 1979.
01:16 We received our independence in 1979, and we've been friends from that time, except
01:22 the brief period in 2020 when there was that sort of disengagement, official disengagement.
01:30 Since we came, I won elections, my party won elections in July 26, 2021.
01:39 And immediately we restored full diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
01:45 We accepted the ambassador to our country, and then we began, we continued that friendship
01:55 that had been broken for a short while.
01:59 We think that Venezuela has been a good friend to us.
02:03 Venezuela has assisted us in many aspects of life in St. Lucia.
02:07 And we believe we like the courage of the people of Venezuela.
02:13 It is our belief that there ought to be no interference in the external affairs of any
02:19 country.
02:20 We think every country and every people have this right to determine their friends, their
02:27 future, and what policies they want for their people.
02:31 We think it's a fundamental right for every country to determine its own internal affairs.
02:38 So St. Lucia has taken a position that we will never support any intrusion in the internal
02:47 affairs of any country.
02:49 And that has been our position.
02:50 We exhibit the right to have the friends we want, the friends we wish, but we respect
02:57 each country, we respect the policies of every country, but we exhibit the right to be friends
03:03 with who we want to.
03:05 Yeah, regarding the topic, two years ago when you made the announcement, Venezuela
03:11 was facing the pandemic, as we know that took a toll on the economy of the country, and
03:17 Venezuela was under heavy sanctions, and we're still under heavy sanctions.
03:21 So back to this day, today, the currently time that you are here paying this official
03:28 visit to the nation, did you find the same Venezuela?
03:32 Did you find the same conditions?
03:35 How do you appreciate the country?
03:36 Well, first of all, I've spoken at the United Nations twice, and I've asked that the sanctions
03:46 against Venezuela be removed.
03:49 That is our position, that the sanctions are unjust, and they should be removed.
03:55 But what I've seen from my short visit, or from my short stay, is that the people of
04:03 Venezuela seem to be very resilient.
04:07 I see a vibrancy in the streets.
04:09 I don't see people who seem to be mourning.
04:12 I don't see people who seem to be worried.
04:15 I see a vibrancy in the streets.
04:17 I see movement, and I'm very pleased.
04:19 As you know, COVID affected us heavily in Aleutia.
04:24 Our country was shut down, and then we suffered gravely.
04:28 Our tourism industry suffered greatly from COVID, because our hotels were closed.
04:33 In fact, the whole country, our airports were closed.
04:37 So we suffered greatly.
04:39 And I can imagine, with sanctions against you, how it was during COVID.
04:44 But I must really tell you, I'm impressed with what I've seen, and I look forward to
04:49 developing that relationship between our two countries.
04:53 Precisely.
04:54 Thank you, Prime Minister, talking about sanctions and talking about countries under
04:59 blockade.
05:00 Cuba, today, is one of the grim dates for Cuba, one of the saddest dates in history.
05:09 Because for example, today, CARICOM holds the Cuba Day Against Terrorism.
05:14 And Cuba marks the day, or the date, after the 47 years of the terrorist attack against
05:23 the plane, a civil aircraft of Cubana de AviaciĂłn.
05:28 Barbados.
05:29 Yeah, it was coming back from Barbados.
05:31 So Cuba has seen these sanctions, has seen over 60 years of blockade, and the island
05:39 is trying to be resilient and trying to recover from that.
05:43 But under your thinking, your opinion, how these sanctions, how the blockade, have hindered
05:49 the possible development of Cuba?
05:52 Well again, we've persistently and consistently called for the removal of the blockade against
06:00 Cuba.
06:01 This is our position.
06:02 We think it's unfair, we think it's unjust, and we've called for that blockade to be removed,
06:08 persistently, every time.
06:10 In fact, this is one of the few occasions where both government and opposition international
06:17 agree.
06:18 Okay.
06:19 The opposition has also agreed that the blockade should be removed.
06:23 The opposition, they've agreed to that.
06:25 And so we are consistent in that regard.
06:27 But in spite of that blockade, the government of Cuba has been of tremendous support to
06:34 the government of Saint Lucia, particularly in education.
06:40 We receive scholarships from Cuba every year for doctors, engineers, agriculturists.
06:49 In fact, if you go to any of our hospitals in Saint Lucia today, you'll find that almost
06:57 every doctor has been trained in Cuba, making a tremendous contribution to the people of
07:04 Saint Lucia.
07:05 The Cubans also run an eye clinic in Saint Lucia, where people with eye issues, with
07:13 cataracts, with coma, get treated.
07:16 And there was a time when hundreds of people left Saint Lucia and went to Cuba to get their
07:25 eyes done, to get the cataracts removed and get treated for various eye diseases.
07:33 So Cuba has done and is making a tremendous contribution in spite of the blockade.
07:41 So you can imagine what would happen if there was no blockade.
07:44 You can imagine if there was one Caribbean, if Cuba, Venezuela, and the countries of CARICOM
07:50 coming together and working together.
07:52 CARICOM has taken a strong position on the fact that we are friends.
07:58 We are friends to Cuba.
08:00 We are friends to Venezuela.
08:03 This has been a CARICOM position.
08:05 It's a position which almost every country in CARICOM has taken, that position, that
08:12 we remain friends with Cuba and Venezuela.
08:16 In fact, we say that if our region is a zone of peace, and that is what we strive for,
08:27 for our region to be a zone of peace, a region where there is no conflict, where there is
08:31 no war, where the people of the region who share one common history can work together
08:37 for the good of humanity and for the good of the people of the region.
08:42 We are friends with America.
08:44 We are neighbors to America, but we do not believe that these sanctions are right or
08:50 that blockade is right.
08:51 And that's our position which we have maintained.
08:54 And yes, both governments, the government of Venezuela and the government of Cuba, have
09:00 been thankful of that position and that stance.
09:03 So one of the main events in the geopolitical arena this year was the G77 and China summit
09:11 that was held in Havana.
09:14 And as you know, Cuba holds the pro-temporary presidency of that block.
09:19 And how do you consider Cuba has done this year, or has developed this year, at the head
09:26 of the block and at the head of the global south?
09:29 Well, first of all, we are very happy that Cuba has taken that position in the union.
09:40 But the people of the world have a lot to learn from the resilience of the Cuban people.
09:47 The advancement in science, the advancement in medicine, the work that Cuba has done as
09:53 far as COVID is concerned, and as far as the COVID vaccine has been concerned.
10:01 And we think that Cuba, in spite of the sanctions, and that's important, how they've been able
10:07 to develop their science, their technology, their agriculture.
10:12 And we think that there's a lot to learn from what's happening in Cuba.
10:17 And I'm very happy that Cuba can share these experiences with us in the region.
10:22 Because as you know, Ralph Gonzales, Dr. Ralph Gonzales, is also involved in CELAC.
10:29 And so we, and Ralph Gonzales is in the OECS, which is part of CARICOM, and is a neighbor
10:35 to St. Lucia.
10:36 So we are well involved and changed in these progressive movements that seek to benefit
10:41 the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.
10:45 You have mentioned several sectors and topics as education, as health, and as science.
10:53 How the whole Caribbean region, and let's include all the governments you have mentioned,
10:59 the government of Obeidos, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
11:05 How the Caribbean is enhancing these sectors, and how it's enhancing and bolstering cooperation
11:12 in these sectors and in these areas.
11:14 Well, you see, there is one elephant in the room, which is climate, climate change.
11:20 And the threat of hurricanes and cyclones and floods affect all of us.
11:26 In fact, that is what I think worries the prime ministers the most, the fear.
11:33 And it's very difficult to explain to our larger neighbors what happens when there's
11:39 a hurricane.
11:40 Our friends in Dominica can tell you that they got up one morning and the country was
11:47 wiped out.
11:48 It's very possible that in these small islands, because we are very small, St. Lucia is 238
11:56 square miles with 185,000 people.
12:00 So it's very possible that you get up one morning after a hurricane and your whole country
12:05 is wiped out.
12:06 Very, very possible.
12:08 So we want to work in terms of adaptation to climate change.
12:15 When I left home yesterday, it was raining.
12:18 Part of the country was flooded by simple rain for a few hours.
12:25 And when we speak in the international forum about climate change, it's difficult for you,
12:36 for the international world, to perceive what happens to us when there's a hurricane.
12:42 Very difficult.
12:43 Because there can be a hurricane in Venezuela and then one part of the country remains unscathed.
12:49 You understand?
12:50 Because it's a vast country.
12:54 But in our countries, the damage by just a few hours of rain, just a few hours of rain,
13:00 caused flooding, landslides in all the countries of the OECS.
13:05 So as far as climate change is concerned, we need to be able to get adaptation to climate
13:11 change.
13:12 There are things we can do.
13:13 And we are asking our larger countries, our larger neighbors to assist us in this regard.
13:19 Because our biggest fear, and that takes me to food security.
13:26 In times of a hurricane, our food security gets affected.
13:31 A few months ago in St. Lucia, there was a storm, not even a hurricane, called Brex.
13:38 And 70% of our banana industry was wiped out.
13:44 With rain that fell probably for about four hours.
13:47 So we are very vulnerable.
13:51 Very vulnerable.
13:52 And we always tell the international world, particularly the international financial institutions
13:58 that lend money to us, that our problems are unique.
14:04 Because of our smallness and the smallness of our population.
14:08 So we need special and differential treatment.
14:11 And we believe with our neighbors in CELAC, with our neighbors in all the countries that
14:21 understand how to apply, that share the same history, that there should be some special
14:27 and differential treatment for us in the region.
14:31 So in terms of climate change, in terms of agriculture, in terms of food security, because
14:38 we import most of our food, and CARICOM has taken a position that we are striving to see
14:46 if we can import less than 75% of our food.
14:54 We want to be able to produce 25% of our food by the year 2025.
15:05 That's what we are striving for.
15:06 But again, because of our smallness, when we have a hurricane, when we have a flood,
15:14 we go back.
15:15 We get back.
15:17 So what we are striving to do is to have new technologies in agriculture so we can continue
15:25 to grow, we can continue to produce for our food security in spite of the fact that we
15:31 have serious issues with the weather.
15:36 So without a doubt, the climate change and environmental crisis is taking the heaviest
15:43 toll on the smaller nations, and the island nations, and also in the Caribbean, of course,
15:48 we are a spread of islands.
15:50 We're an archipelago, if you will see.
15:52 Exactly.
15:53 And smaller, in the Far North, it's small islands.
15:56 The OECD is very small.
15:59 Saint Lucia has the largest population in the OECD, and we have 185,000 people.
16:06 Sometimes it's laughable.
16:08 I see you laughing.
16:11 But it's a country.
16:14 It's part of our size.
16:18 We are people who believe in respect.
16:24 We are people who are hardworking.
16:26 We have a population that's vibrant, that's hardworking, and we've achieved, we've made
16:33 our mark on the world.
16:35 We have Sir Arthur Lewis, an economist, and Sir Derek Walker, who are two Nobel Prize
16:42 winners.
16:43 So we've made our mark on the world.
16:46 So we continue to make our mark, and we continue to maintain our independence in spite of the
16:52 problems of the world.
16:54 Saint Lucia walks tall on the defense of the environment and the defense of its own sovereignty.
17:00 We do.
17:01 We do, particularly in terms of our self-respect and our desire to determine our own future
17:10 with the help of our friends.
17:12 That's a good message to the world.
17:14 So, Prime Minister, regarding these climate change threats that we are facing all over
17:20 the world, what will be the proposals or maybe the message of Saint Lucia at the COP28 to
17:30 be held in the Arab Emirates?
17:33 Well, in fact, Saint Lucia will be taking a CARICOM position.
17:40 Okay.
17:41 Because we believe that CARICOM as a whole, as a unit, must be unified in certain aspects.
17:50 And each country of CARICOM, in spite of the fact that the small islands, Dominica, Saint
17:56 Lucia, Brunella, Saint Vincent, Antigua, Saint Kitts, are the ones most affected, the large
18:03 islands, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Cuba, also get affected by hurricanes.
18:08 I believe that.
18:10 So we think that we will be striving for loss and damage, to include loss and damage clauses,
18:19 and we also strive for the fact that the international community pays.
18:26 There was a promise of $100 billion.
18:30 That has never come.
18:32 In fact, only part of that has come.
18:34 That's one of the main claims in several international fora and gatherings, that the financial promises
18:41 and the pledges never came to a reality.
18:44 Right, right.
18:45 Never came.
18:46 And listen to me, you are the greatest, you are the cause of the problem.
18:50 Meet your obligations.
18:52 So we'll be pushing for the international community to meet its financial obligations
18:57 that they've made.
18:58 They've made these obligations before.
19:01 And we've also been pushing for loss and damage, and for assistance in causing us to depend
19:08 less on the factors that create climate change.
19:13 Yes, so to cope with this imbalance, all the island nations are calling for that,
19:20 to the fulfillment of the promises, of the financial promises.
19:25 But at the same time, we have been talking about South-South cooperation,
19:29 about the Caribbean and Latin American cooperation.
19:33 But what about Africa's cooperation with the Caribbean and with Latin America?
19:39 Let's recall that Africa is playing a key role in the international arena.
19:43 And right now, in the new geopolitics and in new scenarios, Africa is maybe one of the strongholds
19:49 for food production.
19:51 They have lithium there in Zimbabwe.
19:53 They have found other sources of resources and other ways to thrive and to cope with new realities.
20:02 So how does Africa come to play with the Caribbean?
20:06 We have so many ties.
20:08 We have so many bonds together.
20:10 So how could this be possible, and how could this be also a way to thrive from the Caribbean?
20:16 Well, you've heard about the fact that Africa is part of the six regions of the world,
20:22 the six regions, Africa and the Caribbean.
20:25 But Africa and the Caribbean, our history, in fact, most of our descendants came from Africa as slaves.
20:35 And they came into the region and they developed the countries of Europe
20:46 by the exploitation of slave labor in the Caribbean.
20:51 Slavery was in the Caribbean, and then the proceeds of slavery developed the countries of Europe.
21:00 This is a fact.
21:02 This is the forced labor from Africa.
21:05 This is why we are calling for reparations.
21:09 We believe that Africa, the descendants of African slaves, are the people of the Caribbean now.
21:21 And it has been proven, and as the Secretary General of the United Nations said recently,
21:28 there is a direct relationship between slave recolonialism and poverty.
21:36 So we believe that there is need for reparations,
21:39 that the European countries, the countries that benefited from slave labor, should pay in terms of reparations.
21:48 We also believe that the ties between Africa and the region, through a self-relationship, should be developed.
21:58 And we're very pleased to understand that Kenya right now wants to play an active part in the restoration of what's happening in Haiti.
22:07 Because Haiti is an issue and a problem for all of us.
22:13 The entire region, the entire Caribbean region, including Venezuela and Cuba,
22:18 we're very concerned about what's happening in Haiti.
22:21 Haiti is a country with a rich history.
22:25 Haiti is a country of Tussauds, Louverture, and Henry Christophe.
22:32 It's a country with a rich, rich history of struggle, of liberation, of freedom, of independence.
22:39 And Haiti now is in a state where very soon, if something is not done, Haiti will descend into chaos.
22:49 Into absolute chaos.
22:51 CARICOM is playing a very important role as far as Haiti is concerned.
22:58 And as you heard, I'm sure you heard, that Kenya decided there will be a direct intervention in Haiti
23:05 through the send of peacekeeping troops.
23:09 The country of Rwanda has also asked to assist.
23:13 We hope that we can, because Rwanda again has a history that can help us in Haiti.
23:19 So, South-South dialogue is extremely important.
23:25 Because, as I said before, Africa, African slaves in the region,
23:32 they stayed there and they created the region and that wealth, Europe developed.
23:38 So, we're looking forward to closer cooperation with Africa and closer cooperation with the countries of the South.
23:44 Precisely.
23:46 So, we were talking about all the regional blocs and we were talking about Africa.
23:52 So, there is just one question left.
23:56 What about the BRICS? What do your administration, your government, Saint Lucia, think and ponder about BRICS
24:04 as another way to be united against hegemonism and another way to enhance and to thrive?
24:12 Well, we have been speaking a lot about a new world financial order.
24:24 Most of our countries are highly indebted.
24:30 And most of that is caused because we've had to rebuild our countries after hurricanes.
24:38 We've had to borrow at not very discretionary rates from the larger, the IFCs, the larger financial institutions.
24:49 We've had to borrow from them to develop our countries and we have to pay back.
24:54 We are calling for a new world financial order.
24:58 We think that there should be debt redemption.
25:04 We think that many of the debts that were caused because of climate disasters should be forgiven.
25:13 This is what we're calling for.
25:15 We're calling for a new form of relationship between our small islands and international financial institutions.
25:24 And we see the possibility of that happening in arrangement with the BRICS countries.
25:32 But, as we always maintain, we understand our history and we do not want to antagonize anyone.
25:43 Our job as a country, as countries in the region, is for peaceful coexistence in the world so we can benefit our people.
25:54 What's important to us is improving the quality of life of the people of our country.
25:59 We need to improve their education.
26:02 We need to improve their social situation.
26:05 We need to improve their housing.
26:07 We need to increase their health facilities.
26:09 We need to ensure food security.
26:11 We need a better life for the people of the region and the people of Saint Lucia in particular.
26:15 And we're willing to work with anyone who wants to give us that.
26:19 But we maintain the fact that we need to have a right to determine our own destiny.
26:26 As a country, as a people, we think that's our right.
26:30 And this is why in the international forum we say to the entire world, Saint Lucia is respectful of every country's right to self-determination and self-rule,
26:44 and every country's right to determine the future for the people of the country.
26:49 This is our solemn promise to the world in that we believe that we have a role to play,
26:55 but we must be allowed to play that role and endure it.
27:00 Because our people want to live.
27:03 We are not medicants.
27:05 We want to have friends.
27:07 We want to have partners so we can work together.
27:10 Thank you, Prime Minister.
27:12 I think the summarizing of the interview is that we have to thrive together from peace and from our common place,
27:21 and not to antagonize and not to go to war.
27:25 We thank you.
27:27 I want to thank President Maduro for inviting me.
27:31 I look forward to meeting him.
27:33 This afternoon I should meet him in a while.
27:35 I want to thank the government and people of Venezuela for their hospitality,
27:40 and I want to pledge the support of Saint Lucia for Venezuela's right and its claim to exist peacefully.
27:49 Thank you, Prime Minister.
27:50 In this way we put an end to this interview with the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia,
27:55 His Excellency, His Honorable Philip J. Peer.
28:00 I'm Gladys Quezada from Caracas, Venezuela.
28:02 Stay with us.
28:05 [music]
28:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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