St Vincent Prime Minister: Will Haiti peace talks include gangs?

St Vincent Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on Tuesday raised the idea of powerful criminal gangs being included in Haiti peace talks, as he spoke to reporters at the 45th Regular Conference of Caricom Heads of Government at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. His stance seemed to differ to that of UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres who on Monday urged the gangs be defeated and dismantled by the Haitian national police with international support.

Gonsalves said, "Caricom is trying to do something with the political dialogue so we can have an inclusive solution with all the stakeholders in Haiti."

He said several issues had been identified during talks among stakeholders held in Jamaica.

"There's the track for a political solution, a track for a security solution, and a humanitarian one."

Gonsalves said the three issues were all interconnected and must move in tandem, but had contradictions amongst them.

"Now there are important tactical issues to be considered, like for instance, do you hold discussions, do you engage with the gangs? These entities exercise power.

"If two actors are in a social relationship and one actor in that social or indeed political relationship, despite resistance to the other does the will of the other, that other has power. And surely you should be talking to them also."

Pressed on this, he said the ancient Hebrews when confronted with challenges were guided by the Book of Ecclesiastes. He paraphrased this scripture to say, "You try something in the morning and that doesn't work you try a different thing in the evening."

Asked about any easing of sanctions on Venezuela to assist TT exploit the Dragon field, he said US policy on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua was a prisoner of the politics of South Florida (were many Cuban émigrés live, opposed to the Cuban government). He said presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional elections were vulnerable to such a voting bloc.

"South Florida is critical in determining the presidential election. Why do you think (former US president Barack) Obama did it in his second term, open relations with Cuba? Do you think it was because he just saw the light? Because he didn't have an election after that!" Gonsalves saw inconsistencies in the positions taken by the US on Venezuelan oil and gas since the rise in demand after the Ukraine invasion.

"They gave permission to Chevron to talk to Venezuela about exploiting resources and pay Venezuela in US dollars, yet they don't want Venezuela to do it with Petrocaribe? Eh?

"And you're still saying Trinidad can go and deal with Venezuela but we are still not sure if you can pay with US dollars."

He said it was his role as the leader of a small independent leader to point out such inconsistencies.

"Let me ask you a question: Who did the Americans talk to about Chevron – Guaido or Maduro?"

Gonsalves asked aloud rhetorically how many oil fields did Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido own. He said oil firms talked to President Nicolas Maduro.

With the US in mind, Gonsalves quoted Lord Palmerstone during the Crimean War telling the British Parliament, "Britain has no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests."