Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning held a media conference on Saturday to present his views on the matter of the Hilton Hotel refusing to allow the government of Trinidad & Tobago to host the 4th Caricom-Cuba summit at the hotel.
Manning the Government made a “a blunder of great proportions,” by offending one of the country’s key allies in the Caribbean, noting that President Raul Castro was obviously insulted.
“The Government of T&T owes the Government of Cuba and particular President Castro an apology for the fiasco they exposed him to,” he said.
The U.S. administration denied permission under the terms of the Helms Burton Act, which prohibits American companies from having any business contact with the Cuban government.
President Raul Castro led the Cuban delegation to the two-day summit, which was held at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA).
Manning the Government made a “a blunder of great proportions,” by offending one of the country’s key allies in the Caribbean, noting that President Raul Castro was obviously insulted.
“The Government of T&T owes the Government of Cuba and particular President Castro an apology for the fiasco they exposed him to,” he said.
The U.S. administration denied permission under the terms of the Helms Burton Act, which prohibits American companies from having any business contact with the Cuban government.
President Raul Castro led the Cuban delegation to the two-day summit, which was held at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA).
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar offered an apology to Castro. However she said she would not interfere in the foreign policy of the American administration.
Speaking with reporters Saturday Manning said the People's Partnership Government could have used its diplomatic ties in the U.S. to resolve the matter.
Manning also said the government of T&T owns the hotel and the conduct of business at the Hilton is subject to TT laws alone. The hotel is managed by Hilton Worldwide, which is an American company.
"What they should have done was using back channels or indeed, our ambassador in Washington could have gone to the State Department and clarified this matter before it got out of hand," Manning declared.
Manning said, "What is clear to me, as I imagine it should have been clear to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, is that the US didn't want to find itself in a situation where it was saying to a sovereign independent State, that you cannot host a foreign leader in your own country in a facility owned by you."
He said the Government made a bad decision.
"So instead of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago insisting on the exercise of its sovereign democratic right and hosting the summit in a facility that it owns, and a facility located in its own capital. Instead of doing that, it sought to invoke the foreign policy of another country and use that to change the venue of the meeting. That was totally out of order," he said.
He also said that he would have been willing to offer his assistance to the government if necessary.
He told reporters, "Whatever expertise I possess or you think I possess, is always available to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It is always available to the people. If the Government of Trinidad and Tobago wish to consult me on a matter, they are free to do that and we will see what the matter is and we will see how we deal with it."
Speaking with reporters Saturday Manning said the People's Partnership Government could have used its diplomatic ties in the U.S. to resolve the matter.
Manning also said the government of T&T owns the hotel and the conduct of business at the Hilton is subject to TT laws alone. The hotel is managed by Hilton Worldwide, which is an American company.
"What they should have done was using back channels or indeed, our ambassador in Washington could have gone to the State Department and clarified this matter before it got out of hand," Manning declared.
Manning said, "What is clear to me, as I imagine it should have been clear to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, is that the US didn't want to find itself in a situation where it was saying to a sovereign independent State, that you cannot host a foreign leader in your own country in a facility owned by you."
He said the Government made a bad decision.
"So instead of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago insisting on the exercise of its sovereign democratic right and hosting the summit in a facility that it owns, and a facility located in its own capital. Instead of doing that, it sought to invoke the foreign policy of another country and use that to change the venue of the meeting. That was totally out of order," he said.
He also said that he would have been willing to offer his assistance to the government if necessary.
He told reporters, "Whatever expertise I possess or you think I possess, is always available to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It is always available to the people. If the Government of Trinidad and Tobago wish to consult me on a matter, they are free to do that and we will see what the matter is and we will see how we deal with it."
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