Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves on Thursday night intensified his political offensive, levelling fresh claims of foreign interference and sharply criticising individuals he said were linked to the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP).
Addressing supporters at a public meeting in North Central Windward, Gonsalves said he had personally intervened to deny visas to individuals he described as “Chinese operatives.” According to him, those individuals were attempting to enter St. Vincent and the Grenadines for political purposes connected to the NDP. He did not provide documentation or independent evidence to support the claim but maintained that the decision was justified.
Gonsalves further alleged that persons tied to Trinidadian financiers were also seeking to come into the country for political activity. He said that while he wished to restrict their entry, he was unable to do so because of regional free-movement provisions.
“I wanted to stop them, but under the free-movement arrangements, I couldn’t block their arrival,” he told the crowd.
Shifting his focus to domestic politics, the Prime Minister accused the NDP of creating openings for foreign influence. He claimed that certain individuals aligned with the opposition have long been involved in questionable conduct.
During the address, Gonsalves said he “knew some people around the NDP” whom he described as “skilled in thievery” and eager to “milk the country” for personal gain. He offered no evidence for the allegations but argued that the motives of several figures associated with the party were rooted in self-interest rather than the national good.
The remarks drew strong reactions from those in attendance and underscored the increasingly heated political atmosphere as the country moves closer to general elections.
Gonsalves’s statements form part of an intensifying back-and-forth between the major parties, both of which have escalated their rhetoric in recent weeks. Unless official documentation or independent verification emerges, the claims remain assertions made by the Prime Minister during a partisan event.
