Prime Minister Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Everard Gonsalves, was injured in Thursday’s protests in the island nation’s capital in the Caribbean Sea. The 74-year-old was taken to hospital. His condition is stable.
The prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Everard Gonsalves, appeared at the protest to engage in dialogue with its participants. He was injured when one of the demonstrators threw a hard object at him, local news portal Lup News reported.
The prime minister’s health is improving
The condition of 74-year-old Gonsalves, who is prime minister and minister of national security, aviation and port development, immigration and law, is improving thanks to the efforts of hospital staff, his office said late Thursday evening.
Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves said before midnight on Thursday that on the advice of doctors, the prime minister was transferred to nearby Barbados for further treatment and rehabilitation.
Ralph GonsalvesPAP / EPA
Finance minister: the prime minister was assassinated
The News-784 portal cites the statement of the head of the finance ministry, who told journalists that, in the opinion of the cabinet of ministers, “the prime minister fell victim to an attack”. “I want to make it clear: this is not about a scratch, but about an attempt to kill the prime minister,” he said.
Prior to his departure to Barbados, Prime Minister Ralph Everard Gonsalves, leader of the government’s Unity of Labor (ULP), “assured him that no criminal action taken against him would persuade him to stop dealing with matters that serve the nation’s good,” the government office said.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, located in the Lesser Antilles archipelago, is a monarchy that is part of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor General. Executive power is vested in the government.
Main photo source: PAP / EPA