• Home
  • Announcements
  • Contact
  • Documents
  • Events
  • Gov’t Achievements
  • UNC Councillors
  • Home
  • News
    • Commentary
    • Letters
    • Press Releases
    • Speeches
    • Testimonies
  • About UNC
    • Political Leader
    • UNC Founder
    • UNC Natex
  • Gallery
    • Projects
    • Video Gallery
  • Links
  • Live Stream
  • Meet The Candidates
  • Youth Arm
  • UNC-PLAN2020
HEADLINES
Message from the Leader of the Opposition on the occasion of Easter 2021
Kamla: The Rowley PNM’s vaccine fiasco has shot T&T in the foot
Leader of the Opposition: Let the crucifixion of Christ inspire us to selflessly love each other
Message from the Leader of the Opposition on the occasion of Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day 2021
Kamla: Economy suffering from Colm Virus
MP Hosein: Government raiding HSF under guise of Covid-19 relief
Kamla – Rowley has confessed he made a mess of the COVID19 vaccine acquisition
MP Mohit: Faris Joins Vigil, Hypocritical, Bring Pepper Spray Legislation Now
UNC Women’s Arm to Ayanna: Fix Keith and his friends first
Kamla to loafing Government: Useless Public relations propaganda will not solve crime.

MP Charles to Moses: You cannot ignore binding Treaties by ‘vaps and invite sanctions

Posted On 27 May 2020
By : Admin

Naparima MP Rodney Charles is condemning Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister, Dennis Moses, for his reckless statement that TT is not bound by the Rio Treaty and the Resolution which imposed travel restrictions against Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

“Nothing is further from the truth,” says Charles, TT’s former Ambassador to the United Nations. “In fact, having ratified the Rio Treaty since 1967, we are bound to its obligations unless, according to Article 25, we expressly denounce it in writing. How then could Moses make such a colossally misleading statement? Or has the Government secretly denounced the Rio Treaty in writing?”

Through his statement, Moses’ recklessness has threatened the economic survival and well-being of T&T and has virtually invited sanctions upon us.

Here are the facts:

  1. Article 61 of the OAS Charter specifies that a “Meeting of Consultation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs shall be held in order to consider problems of an urgent nature and of common interest to the American States.” This therefore broadened the scope of the Rio Treaty beyond being simply a defence pact.
  2. On September 23, 2019 a Meeting of Consultation was held in which 16 of the 19 OAS States supported a Resolution calling for the placement of sanctions on Venezuelan Officials linked to the Maduro government. TT abstained from this vote. However, this Resolution was approved since it received an absolute majority of assenting votes.
  3. Article 20 of the Rio Treaty states that decisions of the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs are binding on all states that are signatory to the Rio Treaty. Therefore this includes T&T.
  4. Although Article 19 of the OAS Charter states that “No State or group of States has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other State”, Article 23 of the OAS Charter also states that “Measures adopted for the maintenance of peace and security in accordance with existing treaties do not constitute a violation of the principles set forth in Articles 19 and 21.”

In other words, the Resolution under the Rio Treaty concerning the Crisis in Venezuela does not violate Article 19 of the OAS Charter and therefore, a State cannot simply ignore the Resolution in this regard.

Moses has therefore put TT at odds with major trading partners based on this significant foreign policy discordance.

He claimed that TT reserved the right not to be bound by any decision adopted in this resolution since it did not recognise this resolution to be valid.

However, there is a procedure that needs to be followed. You cannot just decide to not abide by its stipulation by ‘vaps’. You need to denounce the Treaty outright and in writing.

Although Rowley and his Government recognise Maduro as the President of Venezuela, they cannot simply disregard our international allies and obligations because they disagree with the decision.

Does this PNM administration not understand the implications of being diplomatically isolated from the 16 regional jurisdictions who voted in favour of the sanctions against Venezuelan officials?

Furthermore, is the Minister’s, and by extension the Government’s, rejection of the Treaty somehow related to the shipment of TT oil which ended up in Venezuela and the controversial meeting of PDVSA officials in TT for which a straight story is yet to be discerned?

It all boils back to the blatant disregard by Rowley and his administration of TTs obligations as a member of the OAS when they allowed sanctioned Venezuelan persons within our borders. By doing so, they have exposed the entire country to potential repercussions, including sanctions. It is the latest in the saga of their complete incompetence, locally and internationally, and they must be held accountable.

Rodney Charles

MP for Naparima

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • google-share
Previous Story

United National Congress Ready for General Elections

Next Story

MP Indarsingh Slams Hinds Over Dry Taps

News

Off

Message from the Leader of the Opposition on the occasion of Easter 2021

Each year, like many of around the world, I look forward to the joyous celebration of Easter. As I wish our Christian community a happy and holy
Posted On 03 Apr 2021
Off

Kamla: The Rowley PNM’s vaccine fiasco has shot T&T in the foot

The press conference today held by Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh should send alarm bells throughout the entire of Trinidad and Tobago,
Posted On 01 Apr 2021
Off

Leader of the Opposition: Let the crucifixion of Christ inspire us to selflessly love each other

On this most sacred and reverend day in the Christian Calendar, I would like to wish our Christian Brothers and Sisters throughout our nation a
Posted On 01 Apr 2021
Off

Message from the Leader of the Opposition on the occasion of Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day 2021

As we join in celebrating Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, this vibrant and thriving community is an example of resilience, triumph, and hope in
Posted On 29 Mar 2021
Off

Kamla: Economy suffering from Colm Virus

Today the Opposition in the Parliament moved a Motion of No Confidence in Minister of Finance Colm Imbert. This was an important decision because
Posted On 26 Mar 2021

COMMENTARY

WATER SUPPLY A NATIONAL CRISIS

BY Ken Ali When large communities in central and south Trinidad are denied a water supply for weeks, while urban areas get a constant free flow,
Posted On 29 Apr 2019

Lying Keith Rowley and Sinanan can’t get their maths right

By Capil Bissoon Prime Minister Kei­th Row­ley was being dishonest and deliberately mislead the population by saying that the entire Curepe
Posted On 21 Feb 2019

Media Should be More Vigilant with Galleons Passage

By Capil Bissoon I refer to your story in yesterday’s edition of the Trinidad Express captioned “Has the work started” with regards to the
Posted On 10 Jun 2018

GAS AND GROWTH IN 2018

By Kevin Ramnarine For the last two decades, the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) economy can best be described as a “gas based economy”. When
Posted On 20 Dec 2017

Speeches

Rowley’s Mad Power Grab in Tobago

My friends, we are seeing a government that is in freefall – in every single sector. Health, National Security, the business sector. And what
Posted On 16 Feb 2021

Presentation of UNC general election candidates 2020

T&T family! UNC family! It is my absolute pleasure to speak with you today, as we get ready for the sweeping victory that is to come on
Posted On 19 Jul 2020

Kamla: My vision is to build an intelligent nation

“ON THE BALLOT” UNC VIRTUAL MEETING (June 25, 2020) Introduction Good evening and thank you for joining us once again as we continue to set the
Posted On 26 Jun 2020

MNF – Kamla: There is hope

Introduction Good evening T&T! Good evening UNC family!  It is good to be back! 2020 we are ready to rumble! Are you ready? Even though it’s
Posted On 11 Mar 2020

Press Releases

UNC congratulates TTs Althea Alexis – Windsor on her election as a judge of the ICC

The UNC congratulates Ms. Althea Alexis-Windsor on her recent election as a judge of the ICC. Her CV and credentials are impeccable and most
Posted On 26 Dec 2020

Rowley Remains Confused: PNM Crashed Everything Long Before Covid

After the Prime Minister addressed the nation today from his home in Tobago, one would notice that the picture he has painted of his
Posted On 25 Oct 2020

UNC calls for clarification on new ‘shutdown’ army powers

The United National Congress has taken note of the new measures announced by the Government regarding a two week shutdown of the country’s
Posted On 27 Mar 2020

UNC calls for calm as T&T’s first Covid-19 case is confirmed

The United National Congress is calling for calm and urging citizens to follow the guidelines of public health officials in taking steps to
Posted On 13 Mar 2020

Letters

Keith Rowley has betrayed the sanctity of Parliament

Dear Editor, The revelation by the Commissioner of Police that the emails which Keith Rowley, then Opposition Leader read in our nations
Posted On 19 Jul 2019

T&T owes Kamla a debt of gratitude

Kamla Persad-Bissessar did what many were not expecting… she and her MPs voted unanimously with the Government to ensure passage of the Civil
Posted On 09 Apr 2019

Unity and Coalition are different things

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar has faced some stinging criticism relative to her declaration at the UNC’s National Assembly that the
Posted On 01 Feb 2019

Three years of Rowley’s Rule

This is a particularly reflective time for Trinidad and Tobago having just observed our 56th year of Independence. This week, on September 7,
Posted On 03 Sep 2018
Copyright © - 2019 United National Congress
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.