St Vincent fishermen have expressed anxiety and said they are somewhat afraid to go out to sea following a U.S. military strike in the country’s waters”.
While the government remained silent, Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves agreed with a caller to his program on Wednesday, noting that fishermen would absolutely be afraid to go out under those conditions.
He says this fear is expected to have a direct economic impact, with the caller predicting that the price of fish in the market will “skyrocket” because the supply is being disrupted.
The conversation linked this fear to broader regional security concerns, noting that these maritime actions have reportedly resulted in the deaths of individuals from St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
Gonsalves stated that these actions were “unamerican” and contrary to international law, arguing that individuals are entitled to a presumption of innocence and procedural fairness rather than being killed in what he described as an “execution of a foreign policy based on ideological terms.”
Furthermore, he highlighted a lack of communication from the government regarding these incidents.
Gonsalves called for the Ministry of National Security and the Coast Guard to provide clarity on whether they have received any information from American authorities or the Regional Security System (RSS) concerning the situation in the waters.