It was confirmed by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados that groups representing President Nicolás Maduro and seld declared President Juan Guaidó have been meeting in Barbados to find a resolution to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela. The Norway government is reported to be mediating the discussions between the two parties.
Barbados has enjoyed friendly relations with Venezuela that reached a peak in the 70s and 80s under late President Carlos Andrés Pérez. The blogmaster sincerely wishes for a positive outcome to the meeting. The hopes and fears of millions of Venezuelans rest on the outcome.
The decision to host the meeting in Barbados must be viewed as positive if only for the international attention the tiny island will receive. Lord knows all earned media is needed at this time.
An observation one can legitimately make is that since Mia Mottley assumed the job as Prime Minster, she wasted no time breathing life into Brand Barbados on the regional and internation fronts. Barbados’ reputation had taken a heavy hit under former Prime Minster Freundel Stuart whose introverted nature saw him preferring to read a book with a glass of wine on his patio after 5PM until bedtime. His Foreign Minister was a hard worker with a heart in the right place but lacked the gravitas to elevate Barbados on the outside. Her many sojourns overseas reflect she tried her hardest.
There was a period back in the day when Barrow, Burnham, Adams, Manley, Williams and a few others were on a first name basis with leaders from England, Canada, Singapore and others- these relationships were formed at university and made governing tiny islands tolerable. Fast forward to today, those relationships no longer exist. Some may point to Mottley’s play book as the alternative to ferment relationships to leverage for the benefit of Barbados and the region.
We have to end this blog on a tangential note by asking Prime Minister Mottley to address the outstanding issue of the ongoing negotiations with the external creditors led by White Oaks. We are aware that although the external debt is not large compared to the domestic debt the aggressive 3 year recovery plan will be compromised if it becomes protracted.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.