Former Prime Minister and current Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves used sharp language at a press conference today, accusing government MP Conroy Huggins of misleading residents of Barrouallie about his role in infrastructure works in the community. Speaking to reporters, Gonsalves said Huggins has been telling people that he was responsible for the road leading down to the blackfish processing facility in Barrouallie, a claim the opposition leader flatly rejected as untrue.
According to Gonsalves, the road project did not originate with Huggins and was already in motion before the last general election. He said the works were tied to the development of the blackfish facility built by former MP Orlando Brewster, and not the current parliamentary representative. Gonsalves insisted that Huggins had nothing to do with that road, adding that the timeline alone disproves the story being circulated. The road, he said, started before the election, and credit should not be reassigned after the fact for political convenience.
The opposition leader went further, suggesting that Huggins’ comments were part of a broader attempt to remain politically relevant. He told reporters that the MP was trying to make himself relevant by attaching his name to projects he did not initiate. Gonsalves repeated that the blackfish facility and the access road were constructed under Brewster’s watch, and that residents of Barrouallie deserve accuracy rather than political spin when it comes to development projects in their community.
Gonsalves also took aim at Huggins’ public image, noting that the MP had previously been associated with preaching and evangelical church work. He urged Huggins to stop lying, saying that moral authority and public office come with a responsibility to speak the truth. During his remarks, Gonsalves referenced a line from a Bob Marley song, “I feel like bombing a church,” using the lyric to criticize what he described as hypocrisy among preachers who do not practice honesty. He framed the reference as illustrative, not literal, but used it to underline his frustration with what he sees as dishonest public statements.
The press conference ended with Gonsalves returning to his central claim: that Huggins’ statements about building the road to the Barrouallie blackfish facility are false and misleading. He again called on the MP to stop lying and to be honest with the people he represents.
The remarks add to the increasingly tense political atmosphere, as infrastructure and community development continue to feature prominently in public debate. Today’s comments signal that the opposition is prepared to directly challenge claims it believes distort the record, particularly where long-standing projects and community investments are concerned.
