ST JOHN’S, Antigua – “Stop maligning Antigua and Barbuda to promote your selfish political interests.” That is the message from E. P. “Chet” Greene, the foreign minister of Antigua and Barbuda, to former Puerto Rican legislator, José Aponte Hernández.
The minister stated:
“In a recent outburst, José Aponte Hernández launched unfounded and false allegations against the sovereign nation of Antigua and Barbuda, claiming that our infrastructure developments are part of a military strategy by China, particularly alleging that our airport is used for the landing and take-off of Communist Chinese bombers.”
“His statement is not only baseless, but it also appears crafted to promote his long-held and unsuccessful desire to annex Puerto Rico to the United States as a state.”
“Antigua and Barbuda is a world-renowned tourism destination. Our airport and seaport welcome many of the world’s leading airlines and cruise ships, bearing hundreds of thousands of US citizens annually, including officers of the US Embassy. Not one of these entities or individuals has ever corroborated Aponte’s outrageous and highly malicious claims.”
“These assertions by Aponte are grounded in a sensationalist article written by a known ardent anti-China advocate in the publication Newsweek. Aponte demonstrated a profound disregard for the truth by not seeking to ascertain the facts before uttering his falsehoods against a neighbouring country, thereby calling into question his credibility as a responsible leader in Puerto Rico.”
” I doubt that Aponte will be decent enough to apologize but, as the foreign minister of Antigua and Barbuda, I am compelled to demand that he cease using unfounded and libelous statements against our sovereign nation. We urge him to focus on constructive and truthful discourse, rather than propagating falsehoods that serve no purpose other than to promote his political ambitions at the expense of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
“Our country remains committed to stability and prosperity in the region, fostering relationships based on respect and mutual benefit. We stand strong against any efforts to undermine our nation through deceit and manipulation and will continue to uphold our values of democracy and freedom.”
– Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda, Washington, DC
