CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC –The St. Lucia government has denounced what it says are efforts to undermine the deepening relationship with the United States, noting that “the gains to be realized from this friendship should not be allowed to be eroded by the malicious and callous publications operated by clandestine operatives.”
In a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister said that together with the Ministry of External Affairs, it has taken note of “the increased and outlandish falsehoods being shared on social media by destructive and adversarial agents of the (main opposition) United Workers Party (UWP) and UnitedPac Saint Lucia and continue to caution against these unsubstantiated and blatantly false claims.”
The statement said that in recent years, St. Lucia has sought to strengthen its relationship with the United States and that prime Minister Phillip J Pierre has “facilitated frank, yet cordial dialogue between the two nations which aims to increase our cooperation in trade, security, and travel.
“These areas of collaboration are envisaged to impact the lives and livelihoods of all St. Lucians in meaningful and sustainable ways,” the statement said, adding, “we note in particular the use of targeted propaganda attempting to undermine the diplomatic relations which the Government is pursuing to benefit the citizens of this country.
“The gains to be realized from this friendship should not be allowed to be eroded by the malicious and callous publications operated by covert operatives. St. Lucians are urged to guard against the consumption and sharing of such malicious content as it seeks to undermine its subjects and the perception of all Saint Lucians to the region and the rest of the world.”
But in a statement, UnitedPac Saint Lucia, which describes itself as a “Super Action Committee group (SuperPAC) whose philosophies and ideologies are in line with conservative values,” said that it is “ lamentable” that the Government is “resorting to imprecise and unspecific accusations regarding the dissemination of supposed “outlandish falsehoods” on social media.
“The inhabitants of St. Lucia are entitled to the transparency and clarity of the matters that bear upon their nation and its diplomatic connections. To impugn the messenger without disclosing the message only engenders confusion and deludes the masses.
“The utilization of terminology such as “destructive and adversarial agents” and “clandestine operatives” is a mere ploy to engender doubt and suspicion without presenting tangible proof or information,” the statement said, adding that St. Lucians “have the inalienable right to ascertain the veracity and to make informed choices, and such vague allegations do nothing to further this objective.”
For its part, the UWP has yet to respond publicly to the government statement explicitly. Still, in a lengthy open letter sent to Prime Minister on Thursday, Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet said Prime Minister Pierre had “on several occasions before and since coming into office…expressed to the people of St. Lucia your commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.
“Sadly, you have treated this commitment as your countless other promises to this trusting country of ours. You have failed to deliver,” Chastanet wrote, adding that the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) regards its electoral victory in the last general election as a “license to exact revenge on its critics.
“As if to confirm the growing perception, leading representatives of your government arrogantly abuse their offices, issue cowardly threats at every opportunity, whether in parliament or via the media,” Chastanet said.
In the letter, Chastanet is warning the Government to allow Iranians to acquire citizenship through the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI), noting the British Government’s concern about its security as a result of these programs being administered in several Caribbean islands whereby foreign nationals are granted citizenship in return for making a substantial contribution to their socio-economic development.
“Surely, you must be aware of the international sanctions on Iran and Russia as a consequence of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the danger to St. Lucia or any other country that is seen to be giving comfort to either.
“We note your confidence that due diligence will prove St. Lucia’s CIP to be strong and above board. However, given the problems our small islands have had in the past with blocklisting by European regulators, we must hold our breath,” Chastanet wrote.
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