Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding said Jamaica’s decision to participate in discussions at the Organisation of American States (OAS) – whose general assembly started yesterday – over the Venezuela situation is “correct”.
However, he has criticised opposing CARICOM leaders for their “foolish” position.
“It can’t be support for Venezuela absolutely because they’ve been good to us,” Golding told The Gleaner. “Venezuela has been good to us, but the government of Venezuela has proceeded in a direction that we cannot condone.”
Golding said the argument that is being advanced by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, about non-interference, is foolishness. And, I say it’s foolishness because the same argument could have been advanced for apartheid, South Africa.
The situation worsened in March when the Supreme Court, though temporarily, stripped the Parliament of its powers and transferred that authority to the court.
Maduro has alleged that the United States has been trying to destabilise the socialist country since the death of Hugo Chavez, whom he replaced.
Bruce Golding says Holness is right. “I think that CARICOM was ideally placed to be the mediator. But, that possibility does not exist given the sharply conflicting positions that have been taken within CARICOM.
Meanwhile, Golding said he supports Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s call for OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro to be removed. “I think he has compromised himself and he’s in danger now of comprising the OAS.”
