by Linda Straker
- Invitation to shop in Union island completely reckless
- Grenada citizens called upon to break the law by leader of another country
- Grenada has 14 confirmed Covid-19 cases, while St Vincent has 12 and hundreds in quarantine
Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, has described the invitation for people from Carriacou and Petite Martinique to go shop for food and gas in the Grenadine territory of Union island which is governed by St Vincent and the Grenadines, as completely reckless.
“And I want to say to the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique that if you are having difficulties getting food we can help because we have a lot of it in Union island and you could get to Union island. I want to tell our brothers and sisters that and if you want to get cooking gas we can help you, but let us do it in a structured and organised manner,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines said in a ceremony on Friday. At the time he was accepting medical donations from Venezuela.
“It is alarming that our citizens will be called upon to break the law by the leader of another country. It is a grossly irresponsible action that has the potential for not only legal consequences but also poses a significant threat to public health and public safety,” Dr Mitchell said on Saturday, hours after Gonsalves extended the invitation.
In a statement on Saturday, Dr Mitchell, who also serves as Minister for National Security, explained to the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the 2 Grenadines islands that are governed by Grenada, that many countries as part of the strategy to combat Covid-19 have instituted stringent measures, while others have opted for a more relaxed approach, which in some cases have resulted in dire consequences. “In the fluidity of the pandemic, it may be hard to say which is the right or wrong approach, but countries retain a sovereign right to determine what works best and when decisions are made, citizens must abide by the laws of their respective countries. Even in the midst of a pandemic, the law must prevail.”
Grenada presently has 14 confirmed Covid-19 cases, while St Vincent has 12 and hundreds in quarantine.
“My fellow Grenadians, particularly our brothers and sisters in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, do not be misguided into flouting the law of the land. Do not knowingly endanger your health and that of your family. I encourage you to think and act wisely. There is no shortage of food and we are continuously revising our operations to ensure that we optimise the distribution of goods and restocking of grocery stores,” Dr Mitchell said in the statement.
During a news conference last Monday, Dr Mitchell expressed his concern about the decision by the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines to keep its borders open while other countries in the region have closed theirs, as part of the strategy to combat the spread of the contagion which as claimed the lives of thousands and infected more than a million worldwide. “I have to speak to that because I have to be concerned about life. I cannot tell the leadership of St Vincent what to do, but if the decision affects the life of the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, I have to be concerned because a lot of people get foodstuffs from St Vincent, therefore one has to be careful.”
Under the Emergency Powers (Covid-19) regulations, Grenada’s borders remain closed to all internal and external travel with a 24-hour mandatory curfew until 20 April.
“Government’s decision to close the borders,” the Prime Minister said, “was taken after careful consideration, given the detrimental impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on countries around the world. It is intended to be a protective barrier to prevent the spread of the virus here in Grenada.”
PM Gonsalve, there is more to this global pandemic then economic loss. You must protect everyone and close the SVG borders for this Ghost Virus is so deadly and has no barriers. SVG already have confirmed cases and your main concern should be to protect and serve your people, not try and make economic growth. Until there is a vaccine, no one is safe and if the PM Gonsalve is not going to protect his people then it is now up to each and every individual to take responsibility for their own lives and not take dictation, instead you as an individual, dictate to your own loved ones to please stay inside, don’t go to work unless you are a key worker. You must all do your part and share the responsibility. Stay inside. This virus has claimed so many lives, precaution , prevention, prevailing lies upon each individual. Here in the UK we are close to 900 deaths per day. This is NOT A JOKE THING. This virus is ravaging every corner of this beautiful earth. Please stand and Unite as 1 and stay in.
Don’t worry this Forged Deed 596/2008 is on my land
Let Ralph Gonsalves keep out of the Grenada Covid 19 Problems, he ha his own problems in SVG.
When ” Covid 19 start sweeping the Exclusive Up Market Housing Estate at Queensbury Vermont in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Is it known known to the Parliament and Auditors of of SVG.
When Julian Francis in August 2008 , said it was for 200 Low Income Homes.
The Opposition NDP should have him explained if this Development ended up a “” Private Scam using the taxpayers to underwrite it and later sold off for “Private Housing””!.
Parliament needs to hear from Ralph Gonsalves and Julian Francis and Flatten the Curve!!!$$$$
Gonsalves don’t fool yourself, with this subversive tactics. This is a country of law and order. I think our leadership knows well which country depends on remittances to stay afloat and still trying to make hay during this time of covid 19. The vincentian leadership should be ashame of them selves, putting their own people at risk trying to full their pocket. How different Ralph is from Jim Jones
my hope is that the Grenada leadership will ensure drones and the course guard keep that northern water warm.
You’ll know Ralph is a loose canon.
That’s not the problem here. The issue is that the prime minster of Grenada has opened up the mainland to shop on Saturday & Sunday but has told kayaks & people from PM they can’t even go to there local shop. He is the prime minister for the tri island state so why are they being treated like second class citizens ? At least let them go to the local shop . No cases have been reported in carriacou or PM. Not everyone has the space to store food . Some people do not even have fridges in carriacou or PM normally their neighbours or there family might store for them. Listen to your people in carriacou and PM you say there is no shortage that’s fine but let them buy it then.
As a rational Vincentian who doesn’t support Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, and his irrational approach in handling the public threat that COVID-19 posed to humanity, I must commend Dr Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister, of Grenada to let him know where his authority lies and where Dr Ralph Gonsalves authority ends. It is true that he (Dr Gonsalves) is totally out of line by encouraging Grenadians to break the law by inviting them to shop in Union Island (territory that forms part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines). In addition, to inviting Grenadians to break the law, he is inviting them to jeopardise Grenada security by encouraging other illegal acts that can follow. More than that, Dr. Gonsalves invitation can compound the spread of COVID-19 by heightening the spread of the disease due the movement of people illegally between both countries. The Grenadian authorities out of love for its people have went out of their way to put serious commonse measures in place to protect their people from the scourge of COVID-19. On the contrary those in St Vincent and the Grenadines have chosen to do otherwise by implementing measures that are not only irrational to protect its people but are more or less death warrants for COVID-19. For instance, Grenada has chosen to close its borders, implement a curfew and introduced a number of public health measures to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on Grenadians. On the contrary, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is still flouting with an open border with little or no supplementary defences to protect against COVID-19. There is no curfew in St Vincent and the Grenadines. In spite, there is a mandatory quarantine order some people have been taking it for granted and jumping quarantine routinely. Only recently parliament has passed laws that will see quarantine breakers pay a two thousand dollars daily fine for breaking quarantine. Things are so lacks in the country that our second confirmed case of COVID-19 had the opportunity to break quarantine and interacted with one hundred and sixty-four people (check iwitnessnews online). Dr Gonsalves is bragging about how much he loves Vincentians, especially the poor that will be impacted disproportionately by more restrictive measures to fight COVID-19. However, that is the furthest from the truth. Because whether in good times or bad the times the poor is always affected disproportionately. Furthermore, Dr Gonsalves has been in power for nearly twenty years and is so concerned about poor people now, yet he cannot close schools to sauve off COVID-19 because the indigent people in his constituency who depends on the school feeding program will suffer the most. Yet, Dr Gonsalves love the poor, his government has done the best for Vincentians but we still have indigent people in his constituency for which the rest of St Vincent and the Grenadines must die for, only for him to secure his constituency in the upcoming elections. The borders cannot close because Vincentians will suffer from the economic fallout of doing so. But little do Dr Gonsalves knows, that an economy can only be sustained by healthy employees, employers and consumers. Therefore, leaving the borders opened to secure his political objectives will only serve to deliver him a double wanny. First strike, a severely impacted population from COVID-19. Second strike, employees, employers and consumers that are not suitable to revive the economy because of poor health. If Dr Gonsalves can only set his political con aside and treat Vincentians as human beings whom he loves, respects and cares for he will implement better measures to protect us against COVID-19 and stop meddling in Grenadians internal affairs, blatantly undermining their authority and their efforts to protect their people from COVID-19. Thanks for letting Dr Gonsalves know his place Dr Keith Mitchell. Please excuse the lack of paragraphs. My keyboard is not functioning properly.
Why is Gonsalves so out of step with the rule of law in a neighbouring Caribbean country. This really must be unprecedented. Does he really understand and respect our islands – our common history and natural kinship? Perhaps not.
Saint Vincent..STAY OUT OF GRENADA’S BUSINESS.. Our people. On the sister Islands are NOT starving.. God bless our GOVERNING body. God bless Grenada..
Yea irresponsible but i think he done it in good faith . Gonzalez didn’t mean no harm. Easy Dr mitchel all respect due to you too on your response but look at the other side
Some of these leaders are not thinking level headed, they are not even thinking of their own population or even of any risk or possible danger to the population. MONEY! Which is probable not in abundance duing this pandemic period. And for an autocrat it’s easy for them to cross that ; be it moral or physical..Gonsalves needs to watch his own back yard…
Prime Minister Mitchell is spot on. The St Vincent PM is out of order. They are hidden boundaries that must be respected and this has not been the case with the leader of St Vincent.
They are also deeper worries for our security forces such as opportunists using the opportunity of this open invitation to smuggle illegal drugs into Grenada’s territorial waters also; the lost of revenue to customs.
The Covid – 19 virus is a serious threat to all Grenadians living within the Tri- State and so is illegal drugs that are known to be slipping through from St Vincent and the Grenadines.
one of the best comment ive read here. What The PM of st vincent did was very subversive. He should retract his statements, for Carriacou and Petite martinique are Grenada not St vincent.