No Petro Caribe Supplies Received Under Antigua Labour Party Administration

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has raised fresh concerns about the unintended consequences of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, warning that such policies risk undermining energy security and economic stability across small Caribbean states.

Speaking on his weekly Pointe FM radio programme, Browne said that although his administration has never received petroleum products under the PetroCaribe agreement, recent U.S. court filings have inaccurately suggested that Antigua and Barbuda is currently benefiting from Venezuelan oil in defiance of sanctions.

“That is not true,” he stated. “All of the petroleum products received under PetroCaribe were under the former UPP administration. My government has not received a single drop.”

Browne emphasized that while he respects the U.S. government’s right to set its own foreign policy, the spillover effects are hurting vulnerable economies in the region.

“If Venezuela is now in a position to supply petroleum products and credit to us, it would be of major assistance to these countries, especially the smaller ones within the OECS,” he said. “We need a carve-out… otherwise they may just inadvertently destabilize our economies.”

The Prime Minister pointed out that past PetroCaribe assistance had served as a critical economic lifeline during the global financial crisis, allowing Antigua and Barbuda to maintain essential services like electricity and water.

He urged U.S. officials to consider the limited scale of such arrangements in the region and the outsized positive impact they could have on development.

“We’re not a threat. These are small-scale transactions that cannot sustain a regime, but they can make a real difference to us,” he added.

Browne said he is seeking deeper engagement with both U.S. and Venezuelan officials to ensure that Caribbean nations are not “caught in the crossfire” of global power struggles.

“As sovereign countries, we have a right to pursue relationships that serve our people’s best interests,” he said. “The U.S. must understand that policies made in Washington can have unintended consequences in St. John’s.”

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