Varied issues discussed with US Secretary of State, says PM Gonsalves

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has stressed that at least two reports claiming that the United States (US) government had summoned OECS member states to Washington are false.

“It has been drawn to my attention by someYou-Tube channels, I was told, that there are at least two persons onYouTube- not from St Vincent, but from the region, who claimed, first of all, quite mistakenly, that we were asked by the United States of America to come to the White House.

“We were not asked to go to the White House…” Dr. Gonsalves said at a Cabinet Room press conference yesterday, May 12, 2025.

Explaining the origins of last week’s meeting with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the Prime Minister said he (Dr. Gonsalves) requested a meeting to discuss several issues, including the Cuban Medical Brigade programme.

Dr Gonsalves said a five-page letter of March 24, addressed the Cuban professionals employed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and another 910 pages held a number of details.

On Tuesday February 25, 2025, Secretary of State, Rubio announced that the United States of America (USA) was immediately not issue visas to foreign government officials who assist the Cuban overseas medical programme and claimed the programme was exploiting Cubans.

The Prime Minister said on Monday that this has been an issue which the American authorities raised, and he thought that it was important for the OECS to have a discussion with the Secretary of State.

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