 Hello, welcome to Tell us or English. I'm your anchor Gladys Quezada from Caracas, Venezuela and at this moment I'm under one of the main halls of the yellow house la casa Maria the seat of the foreign ministry of Venezuela And I'm honored to receive the prime minister of St. Lucia Philip J. Pierre Be welcome Prime Minister. Thank you very much. Thank you very much So it's a pleasure to receive you here and to have you here with us so one of the main questions I think Today is that two years ago back in July 2021 when you took office and then in August of 2021 to you announced the reestablishment of bilateral relationships with the Venezuelan and I think the first question will be how both countries how your office your administration has enhanced this desire and has materialized this policies Well, first of all, I want to thank the government of Venezuela President for inviting me to Venezuela. St. Lucia has been friends with Venezuela for 1979 We received our independence in 1979 and we've been friends from that time except the brief period in 2020 when there was that sort of disengagement official disengagement Since we came I won elections out of my party won elections in July 26 2021 and immediately We restored full democratic relations with Venezuela we accepted the Ambassador to our country and then we began we continued that friendship that had been broken for a short while We think that Venezuela has been a good friend to us Venezuela has assisted us in many aspects of a life in It's unusual and we believe we like the we like the courage of the people of Venezuela It is our belief that they ought to be no interference in the external affairs of any country we think every country and every people have his right to the to Determine their friends their future and the policies they want to follow people. We think it's a fundamental right For every country to determine its own internal affairs So St. Lucia has taken a position that we will never We will never support any intrusion in the internal affairs of any country and that has been our position We isn't the right to have the phrase we want the phrase we wish but we Respect each country respect we respect the policies of every country, but we do the right to be friends with who we want Yeah regarding the topic Two years ago when you made the announcement Venezuela was facing the pandemic as we know that took a toll on the economy of the country and Venezuela was under heavy sanctions and we still under heavy sanctions. So Back to this day today to the currently time that you are here paying this official visit to the nation Did you find the same Venezuela? Did you find the same conditions? How do you appreciate the country? Well, first of all In I've spoken at the United Nations twice and have asked that the sanctions against Venezuela be removed That is our position that is sometimes our just and they should be removed But you know what I I've seen from my short visit Offer my short stay that the people events of Venezuela seem to be very resilient. I See a vibrancy in the streets. I don't see a people who seem to be mourning. I don't say people who seem to be Who seem to be worried? I see a vibrancy in the streets I see movement and I'm very pleased as you know COVID affected as heavily as Lucia We were our country was shut down and then we suffered gravely our tourism industry Suffered very different COVID because our hotels were closed In fact, the whole country our airports were closed. So we suffered greatly But and I can imagine the sanctions against you how it was In doing COVID, but I must really tell you I'm impressed with what I've seen and look forward to developing that that vision should be countries precisely so Prime Minister talking about sanctions and talking about countries under the Cade Cuba Today is one of the green dates for Cuba one of the saddest dates and in history because For example today Karecom holds the Cuba day against terrorism and Cuba marks the day or the date After the 47 years of the terrorist attack against the plane the a similar craft of Cubana the aviation Yeah, it was coming back from verbatim so Cuba has seen these sanctions has seen over 60 years of blockade and The island is Trying to be resilient in trying to recover from that But under Europe your thinking your opinion how these sanctions how the blockade have hindered the possible development of Cuba Well again We've persistently and consistently called for the removal of the blockade against Cuba. This is our position We think it's unfair Think it's all just and you've called for that for that blockade to be removed persistently every time in fact This is one of the few occasions where both government and opposition is a new shall agree Yes, the opposition is also green that block it should be removed The opposition they've agreed to that and so we are consistent in that regard But in spite of that look it blockade the government of Cuba has been tremendous support to the government solution particularly in education I mean we Receive scholarships from Cuba every year for doctors engineers Agriculturists in fact if you go to any of our hospitals in solution today, you'll find that Almost every doctor has been training Cuba making a tremendous Contribution to the people of solution the Cubans also run and eye clinic in solution Where people with eye issues with color acts with coma get treated and there was there was a time when hundreds of people Left solution and went to Cuba to get their eyes done to get to get the cataracts removed and get treated for various ideas. So Cuba has done and is making a tremendous contribution in spite of the blocking So you can imagine what will happen if there was no blocking can imagine if there's one Caribbean if Cuba Venezuela and Country of carry come coming together and working together carry come has taken has taken a strong position On the fact that we are friends. We are friends to Cuba We are friends to Venezuela this has been a carry come position It's a position which almost every country in caricum has taken that position that we remain friends with human Venezuela In fact, we we think that if our region is is a zone of peace and That is what we strive for for a region to be a zone of peace A region where there is no conflict where there is no war where the people in the region Who share one common history can work together for the good of humanity and for the good of the people of the region We are friends With America we are we are neighbors to America But we do not believe that these sanctions are right or that blockade is right and that's our position which we have maintained Okay And yes the both governments the government of Venezuela and the government of Cuba have been thankful of that position and that stands so One of the main events in the geopolitical arena this year was the G77 and China summit that was held in Havana and you know Cuba holds the pro-temporary presidency of that block and How do you consider Cuba has done this year or has developed this year in the at the head of the block and At the head of the global south Well, first of all, we are very happy that you were In that has taken that position has taken that position in the Union But you know the people of the world have a lot to learn from the resilience of the Cuban people The advancements in science The advancement in medicine. They work that Cuba's done as far as COVID is concerned And you know we as far as the COVID vaccine has been concerned as it's concerned and we think that Cuba In spite of the sanctions unless important how they've been able to develop their science their technology their agriculture and we think that there's a lot to learn From what's happening in Cuba, and I'm very happy that Cuba can share these experiences with us in the region because you know Ralph Gonzales, Dr. Ralph Gonzales is also involved in SELAC And so we and Ralph Gonzales is the OECS which is part of CARICOM and is a neighbor to SELUSIA So we are well involved and challenged in these progressive movements that seek to benefit the people of Latin America and the Caribbean You have mentioned several sectors and topics as education as health and as science how The whole Caribbean region and let's include all the governments you have mentioned the government of a verbados the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines How the Caribbean is enhancing these sectors and how it's enhancing and bolstering Cooperation in these sectors and in these areas. Well, you see that there is one elephant in the room with its climate climate change And the threat of hurricanes and cyclones and floods affect all of us. In fact, that is why I think worries the Prime Minister is the most Fear and it's very difficult to explain to our our larger neighbors What happens when there's a hurricane our friends in in a Dominica can tell you that they got up one morning and the country is wiped out is very possible That in the small islands because we are very small SELUSIA is 268 square miles with a hundred eighty five thousand people So it's very possible that you get up one morning After Hurricane and your whole country is wiped off very very possible. So we want to work in terms of adaptation To climate change when I left home yesterday. It was raining part of country was flooded by simple rain for a few hours and When we speak in the international fora about Climate change it's difficult for you For the international world to perceive what happens to us when there's a hurricane very difficult Because they can be a hurricane in Venezuela and then one part of country remains unscathed It's a vast country But but in our countries the damage By just a few hours of rain just a few hours of rain because flooding landslides in all the countries of the OECS So as far as climate change is concerned, we need to be able to get adaptation To climate change there are things we can do and we are seeing our larger countries our larger neighbors So sisters in disregard in because we are our biggest fear and That kind of takes me to food security In times of a hurricane our food security gets affected a few months ago in St. Lucia there was a there was a storm not even a hurricane called Brex and 70% of our banana industry was wiped off With rain that felt probably for about four hours So we are very vulnerable Very vulnerable and we only always tell the international world Particularly the international financial institutions that on lend money to us that our problems are unique Because of our smallness and The smallest of our population So we need special and differential treatment and and we believe with our neighbors in Salah with our neighbors in the in all the Countries that understand our plight that share the same history But there should be some some special and special and differential treatment for us in the region So in terms of climate change in terms of agriculture in terms of food security because we Import most of our food and carry commas taken opposition that we wanted we we are striving to see if we can import less Then 75 percent of our food we want to we want to be able to produce 25 percent of our food By the year 20 25 percent of our food by the year 2025 That's what we are striving for but again because of our smallness When we have a hurricane when you have a flood we go back We get back. So what we're striving to do is have new technologies in agriculture so we can we can We can continue to grow we can continue to produce our food security in spite of the fact that we have serious serious issues Yeah, so Without a doubt the climate change and environmental crisis Is taking the heaviest toll on the smaller nations and the island nations and also in the Caribbean, of course We are a spread of islands We're an archipelago if you Smaller and it's what now kids small islands the OEC is very small Very small solution is the has the largest population in the OECS And you have 185,000 people Sometimes it's laughable It's a country And we it's one of our sides We are We are people who believe In respect. We are people who are hardworking We have a population who is right That's vibrant. That's hardworking and we we've we've achieved. We've made our mark on the world We have to know we have so alpha Lewis And economists and so Derek Walker who had to Nobel Prize winners Yeah, so we've made our mark on the world So so we continue to make our mark and we continue to maintain our independence in spite of the problems of the world Yeah, St. Lucia walks tall on the defense in the environment and the defense of its own sovereignty We do we in particular in terms of our self-respect and our Our desire to determine our future will help our friends That's a good message to the world So prime minister Regarding this climate change threats that we are facing all in the world What will be the the the proposals or maybe The message of st Lucia at the cop 8028 about your pardon 28 to be held in the art of Emirates Well, in fact, St Lucia will be taken a carry composition Because We believe that carry come as a whole As a unit must be unified in certain aspects And each country of carry come In spite of the fact that the small islands Dominica St Lucia Brunelis and Vincent and Tigris and kids Will are the ones most most affected The large islands Jamaica Trinidad in the cuba also is affected by hurricanes So we we think that we we we we will be striving for loss of damage For to include loss and damage causes and we also strive for the fact that in the national community peace There was a promise of a hundred billion dollars That has never come in fact only part of that has come That's one of the main claims in several international Fora and gatherings that the financial promises and pledges never came to a reality Right never can be so you're saying that listen to me. You are the greatest. You are the cause of the problem Meet your obligations. So we'll be pushing For the for the international community to meet its financial obligations that they've made They've made these obligations before And we've also been pushing for Loss and damage and for assistance in causing us to depend less On the factors that create climate change Yes, so To cope with this imbalance All the the island nations are calling for that to The fulfillment of the promises of the financial promises But at the same time, we have been talking about south south cooperation to about the caribbean and latin american cooperation but we're about Africa's cooperation with the caribbean and with the latin america Let's recall that africa is playing a key role in the international arena And right now in the new geopolitics and in new scenarios, africa is maybe one of the strongholds for food production They have lithium bearings in bowie. They have found other sources of resources and other ways to thrive and to cope with new realities. So How does africa could come to play with the caribbean? We have so many ties. We have so many bonds together So how could this be possible and how this could be also a way to thrive from the caribbean? Well, you've heard about the the the fact that africa is part be a part of the six vision of the world Six vision africa africa and the caribbean but africa And the caribbean our history In fact, most of our descendants came from africa slaves And they came into the region and they developed they developed the countries of europe By the exploitation of slave labor in the caribbean Slavery Was in the caribbean And then the proceeds of slavery Developed the countries of europe This is the fact That the forced labor from africa This is why we are calling for reparations We believe that africa The descendants of african slaves Are the people of the caribbean now It has been proven and as the secretary general of the united nations said recently You can there's a direct relationship between slave recolonialism And poverty So we believe that there is need for reparations Is that the european countries the countries that benefited from slavery award Should pay in terms of reparation We also believe that the ties between africa and the region Through so through the soft soft relationship should be developed And we're very pleased to understand that kinia Is right now one supreme active part in the restoration of what's happening in Haiti Because the Haiti is an issue and a problem for all of us The whole the whole the entire region into the entire caracum region including venezuela and cuba We're very concerned of what's happening in Haiti. I mean a Haiti is a country for rich history Haiti is the is the is a country of two-cell over two And and and i'm in christoph And country forever rich rich history of struggle of liberation of freedom of independence And Haiti now is in a state where very soon Is something is on is something is not done. Haiti will descend into chaos The absolute chaos Caracum is playing a very important role as far as that as far as Haiti is concerned And as you heard i'm sure you heard that kinia inside the delby there'll be a direct intervention in Haiti For the sake of peace peacekeeping troops The country of rwanda Has also asked us to assist we hope that we can because rwanda game has a history That that can help us out in Haiti So some some some some Dialogue is extremely important because as i said before africa African slaves in the region They stayed there and they created the region and that wealth europe developed So we're looking forward to closer cooperation with africa and closer cooperation of countries of the south precisely So we were talking about All the regional blocks and we were talking about africa. So there is just one question left What about the brakes what do your administration your government sanducia Thinks and ponders about breaks as another way to be united against hegemonism And another way to enhance and to thrive Well, we have been speaking We've been speaking a lot about a new world financial order most of Our countries are highly indebted And most of that is caused because We've had to rebuild our countries after hurricanes you have to borrow At not very discretionary rates From the larger the ifcs the larger financial institutions We have to borrow from them to develop our countries and we have to pay it back We are calling for a new world financial order We think that We should there should be debt redemption We think that most that many of the debts that have that were caused because of climate disasters Should be forgiven. This would be calling for And we're calling for a new form of relationship between our small islands and international financial institutions And we see The possibility of that happening in arrangement with the brick with the brick countries but As we always maintain We understand our history And we do not want to antagonize anyone Our job as a country As countries in the region It's a peaceful coexistence in the world So we can benefit our people What's important to us is improving the quality of life of the people of our country We need to improve their education. We need to improve their social situation We need to improve their housing. We need to increase their health facilities We need to ensure food security We need a better life for the people of the region and the people of sedition in particular And we're willing to work if anyone who wants to give us that But we maintain the fact that we need to have a right to determine our own destiny As a country as a people we think it's our that that's our right And this is why in the international forum we say to to the entire world It's a new church respectful of every country's right to self Determination and self rule and every country's right to determine the future for the people of the country This is our solemn promise to the world In that we believe that we have a role to play But we must be allowed to play that role on India Because our people Want to be for our people. We are not medicants You want to be we want to have friends. We want to have partners so you can work together Thank you prime minister. I think this The summarizing of the interview is that we have to thrive together from peace and from our common place And not to antagonize and not to go to work with thank you Thank you. I want to send president A duro for inviting me. I look forward to meeting them this afternoon as you meet in the wild I want to thank the government and people of Venezuela for their hospitality and I want to pledge The the support of San Ushua for for Venezuela's right and its claim to exist specifically Thank you prime minister. So in this way we put an end to this interview with the prime minister of San Lucia Mr. Or his excellency his honorable Philip j pure so i'm glad he's cassara from caracas venezuela. Stay with us