PM INGRAHAM CALLS PETROCARIBE A "STUPID PROPOSAL"

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000861


STATE FOR WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2018
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL BF
SUBJECT: PM INGRAHAM CALLS PETROCARIBE A "STUPID PROPOSAL"

REF: 07 NASSAU 939

Classified By: DCM Zuniga-Brown for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) At a &meet the press8 event on November 30 Prime
Minister Ingraham called signing onto the PetroCaribe accord
with Venezuela a &stupid proposal.8 The PM stated the
opposition PLP nearly signed onto Petrocaribe last year
without fully understanding the ramifications the proposal
would have on The Bahamas. Ex-Foreign Minister, PLP Foreign
Affairs spokesman, and opposition member of Parliament Fred
Mitchell rebutted the PM,s remarks, saying PetroCaribe could
benefit the Bahamian people. Former Trade Minister Leslie
Miller, the gadfly PLP activist and main promoter of
Venezuela,s PetroCaribe initiative in The Bahamas, insisted
PetroCaribe could be beneficial to The Bahamas. Miller
stated the current administration is catering &to Washington
and the rift between the U.S. and Chavez.8


2. (C) Comment: The Bahamas has a wholly privatized oil
distribution system that is incompatible with PetroCaribe.
Further, both FNM and PLP senior leadership are leery about
being beholden to Venezuela. PM Ingraham,s administration
has never been interested in Petrocaribe (reftel) and claims
it is looking towards alternative energy sources rather than
proposals such as PetroCaribe. End comment.


SIEGEL