Executive
Haiti: Foreign Affairs Ministry Says Venezuelan Ambassador Not "Persona non Grata"
- Monday, June 18, 2012 6:24 PM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regretted the statements of a Senator of the Republic, that it did not name but can be assumed to be Sen. Jean-Charles Moïse, for declaring the Venezuelan Ambassador, "persona non grata".
Last Thursday, Senator Jean-Charles Moïse (Nord/Inite) said:
"Today we recognize that there are many branches in the international community that don't want to give money to the country, because they say there is too much corruption."
"The only money we have are the PetroCaribe funds and Martelly is misusing it."
"And listen, I have spoken to a lot of people on the national and international level and we have revealed that the Venezuelan Ambassador has produced a series of reports favorable of Martelly."
"For us here, we don't have a choice, as he is here and is observing how they [Martelly-Lamothe government] are misusing the state's money in the PetroCaribe fund and he never says anything... well for us we declare the Ambassador from Venezuela persona non grata."
In a communication to the public (below) on Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said it learned with dismay the declarations of a senator:
The Government of the Republic has learned with dismay and regret the statements harsh and impulsively produced statements in the press by a Senator of the Republic. These remarks are regrettable and likely to prejudice the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Haiti.
The Government of the Republic said that the Senator in question has no right or authority to declare "persona non grata" a diplomat representing the interests of a friendly state, and that such remedies are only incumbent in the Executive, in accordance with the laws regulating the matter.
The Government of the Republic rejects and condemns such statements undoubtedly intended to harm the harmonious Haiti-Venezuelan relations which benefits to the Haitian people are well known. It takes the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to respect the powers of each organ of government while seeking to have the foresight and sense of responsibility of everyone, at all levels, in building the rule of law which remains inseparable from strengthening democracy, which requires taking into account the laws and basic rules of civility, in parallel with respect to self and others in all public interventions.
The Government finally wishes to recall that the funds generated by the program PetroCaribe are budgeted, and therefore can not in any way be used outside the norms of public accounting.
