ST VINCENT LATEST NEWS, INFO AND UPDATES

Ambassador Marcano Launches Book Inset: H.E. Ambassador Yoel Perez Marcano recounts his tenure in SVG in his book. Former Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, H.E. Yoel Perez Marcano, has published a book which, among other things, highlights his tenure, 2007 to 2013, in this country. The launch held in Venezuela, was witnessed by: this country’s Chargé d’affaires in Venezuela, Mrs. Yvette Wickham; Mayor of the city of Valencia, Edgardo Parra; Deputies Fernando Soto Rojas and Saul Ortega; the Directors of the Venezuelan Association of Caribbean Studies, Gustavo  Fernandez Colon and Diogenes Diaz; and a large group of comrades, friends and relatives of the Ambassador. The work, prefaced by Revolutionary Deputy Fernando Soto Rojas, contains several articles written by Ambassador Pérez Marcano in the period 2007 to 2013, during his tenure as Head of Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and scenarios related to the International policy of the Government of the late Commander Hugo Chavez and President Nicolas Maduro. The Ambassador, in many of the articles, takes umbrage with the ‘hegemonic policy’ and warmongers of the imperialist Government of the United States of America and its subordinate allies of NATO, the international Zionism, and speaks to the right of people to self-determination, sovereignty, national independence, Integration and Social Justice, as proclaimed by the Bolivarian Revolution. Speaking at the launch, was the Chargé d’Affaires Mrs. Yvette Wickham who had words of thanks for Ambassador Yoel Perez Marcano for his leadership of the Venezuelan Mission in her country, highlighting especially Ambassador Marcano’s role in ensuring that the International Seminar of Africa, Caribbean and Latin America, was held for four consecutive years, bringing together academics, social and community leaders, to discuss the challenges of the integration of people. Ambassador Marcano is currently on duty at the Venezuelan Diplomatic mission in Belize.

- See more at: http://thevincentian.com/ambassador-marcano-launches-book-p3343-1.htm#sthash.lFBeATjS.dpuf

Players’ Juniors Win With ‘The Garifuna Story’

Winning Junior Section, ‘Spirit of Ashanti from Players’ ‘The Garifuan Story’. Above Right: Winning Junior Section, ‘Spirit of Ashanti’ from Players’ ‘The Garifuan Story’. Bottom Right:Akel James, Junior King of Carnival, portrayed ‘Rays of the Sun’; from Ahdrenalin Mas Band’s ‘Existenz’.

By: William Kojah Anthony • Thu, Jul 11, 2013

‘The Garifuna Story’, as told by SVG Players International Mas Band in the colour and artistry of carnival, won the 2013 Junior Band of the Year title.

They secured the judges nod when they appeared at Victoria Park, Thursday July 4. That was five days after the originally scheduled date for the Junior Carnival extravaganza, which was put off because of bad weather.  

 

Players offered two sections, ‘Spirit of Ashanti’ and ‘Arawaks and Kalinago’, which after claiming first and second respectively in the Junior Sections of the Bands, combined to produce the winning band.

Runners-up to Players in the Band of the Year challenge were Guinness y de Lima Hitz FM Blondie Bird and Friends, with ‘Jewels of the Caribbean’, with Sugar City and Botanic Gardens from the Band with in second position, and ‘Jewel Fairies’ from ‘Romancing the Stone’, a Mirage Productions presentation, taking third.

 

Players also copped the Junior Queen of Carnival title with ‘Hairoun Splendour of Nature’, portrayed by Raphelia Bailey. She beat Jaynaia Prescott, portraying ‘The Doric Temple’ from Blondie Bird and Friends, into second. Third place went to K-Tricia Isaac-Collins who depicted ‘Summer and Winter’ from Metrocint General Insurance Company/The Vincentian Publishing Company in association with High Voltage Mas production ‘Tribute 50’. 

 

The Junior King title went to Ahdrenalin Mas Band Existenz. Akel James depicting ‘Rays of the Sun’ claimed the band’s first ever victory in this category.  

Second place went to Blondie Bird’s Jelani Niles with his presentation ‘Land of Sea, Sand and Sun’, with SVG Players taking the third spot when Tyrese Grant displayed the costume ‘Emperor Abubakari 11 of Mali’.  

Thirteen masquerade bands crossed the stage in the Junior Carnival parade.

- See more at: http://thevincentian.com/players-juniors-win-with-the-garifuna-story-p3341-133.htm#sthash.hs6Yhm9r.dpuf

Opposition MP concerned about rule of law in St Vincent

By CMC - Sunday, July 14th, 2013.

Senator Vynette Frederick

NEW YORK, July 14, CMC – In the wake of the re-arrest of an opposition senator in St Vincent and the Grenadines, an opposition Member of Parliament has expressed grave concern about the rule of law in the country.

Senator Vynette Frederick was arrested and slapped with nine charges hours after the court dismissed six charges against her on Thursday.

In addressing a town hall meeting on Saturday in Brooklyn, New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for West Kingstown, Daniel Cummings, said the magistrate “did the only logical thing” in dismissing the “ridiculous” charges against Frederick.

“You have a vehicle with eight police officers going to arrest a Member of Parliament on some frivolous charges, which again was just thrown out by the court of law in our country. That is what passes for open transparency and the rule of law,” he said sarcastically.

Cummings likened the rule of law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to that in St. Kitts and Nevis, where the Speaker of the House is yet to adopt an opposition motion of no confidence motion in the Denzil Douglas administration.

“That is democracy of Labor (governments) in the Caribbean,” he charged.

“Where are the international organizations that jump when some economic interest is being threatened?” Cummings asked. “Where is the outcry from the international community about the clear removal of our way of life in the Caribbean?

“I join you in saying to Vynette Frederick, ‘she is on the right side,’ she’s on the Lord’s side,” he said, stating that no government will be allowed to “trample on the legitimate rights of us as a people. We will not remain silent. We will make sure that the days of these…are numbered.”

Trinidad-based attorney Keith Scotland confirmed that the charges had been laid against Frederick but did not detail the allegations.

“We wouldn’t want to speak too much about the charges because they are now before the court,” he told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) shortly after Frederick was released on bail.

But Barbadian Queen Counsel Andrew Pilgrim, who is also a member of the defence team, said, “we could say they are alarmingly similar to those that were before the court before.”

The six charges dismissed on Thursday, relate to evidence that Frederick submitted as part of private complaint against Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves after the December 2010 general elections.

Those matters were thrown own; and, in September 2012, Frederick was charged with making a false declaration before a magistrate on January 10, 2011.

Frederick, an attorney and former candidate for the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), was also charged with making false declarations on June 16, 2011 and May 23, 2012, before Faye James.