At the age of 76 years, Ralph Everard Gonsalves will fulfill a dream. He remains in charge of the interim presidency of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC) into next year. Prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001, a small country made up of islands in the Caribbean, arrives with the consensus support of 33 countries and will replace Alberto Fernández in the body that claims to be a counterweight to the Organization of the United States (OEA), led by Uruguay Luis Almagro.

The father of five children (two girls and three boys) Gonsalves came from a Marxist background. He has very good relations with the most radical left-wing governments in the Americas, such as Cuba, Nicaragua Y Venezuelan. In Havana he was known as “Comrade Ralph” or “Mini Castro”, nicknames that also appeared when he was mentioned in the offices of the Russian Kremlin.

On this occasion, he also had the support of the continental “heavyweights” to access the position as there must be a unanimous vote in his selection. Both Argentina and Brazil, which rejoined at Lula da Silva’s initiative, and Mexico added to their agreements so that, for the first time, a Caribbean country would take control.

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Gonsalves is currently serving his fifth term as head of the parliamentary monarchy integrating the British Commonwealth of Nations, as leader of the United Labor Party he won election in 2001 and was re-elected in the 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 elections. He chairs Caricom , the Caribbean Community that unites 15 Central American countries.

Gonsalves received his Bachelor of Economics and Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of the West Indies. Additionally, he is a PhD in Public Administration from the University of Manchester, UK. He wrote several books in which he outlined his ideas on trade unions, Marxism, neocolonialism and issues of integration and development, among other topics. “The scourge of imperialism: the case of the Caribbean” (1976); “History and the future: a Caribbean perspective” (1994) and “A non-capitalist path to development: Africa and the Caribbean” (1981), are some of his most important publications.

One of his sons, Camillo, 50, is a lawyer by profession, and is the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology. Those who frequented “Comrade Ralph” confirmed that Camillo would become his successor in power.

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Gonsalves formed a close friendship with Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo. On July 19 last year, during a visit to Managua, where the 43rd anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista Revolution was being celebrated, he was the only foreign leader participating in the celebrations and had the nerve to tell his friend he should continue the dialogue. with the United States. “I ask the United States, a country with great achievements, to be closer in friendship with the people and government of Nicaragua, is it so difficult?” Gonsalves diplomatically defended it on that occasion.

“What was required of us as leaders thousands of years ago? The Prophet Micah gave a simple explanation of what is required of a leader who acts justly, loves compassion and walks humbly with our Lord”, he said later in his speech after receiving the “Augusto César Sandino Order” in his highest title, “ Battle of San Jacinto ”.

The words with biblical references were interpreted as a plea for mercy to the many political prisoners Ortega defended, who minutes later completely ruled out speaking to Joe Biden because it would mean “putting a noose around his neck” and then declaring that “imperialism cannot be trusted.” bit like that because it ends you”. Although Saint Vincent’s public statements did not go down well, relations between the two countries were not affected.

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In early 2022, Nicaragua, with the support of another major ally, Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro, he had nominated Gonsalves as president of the regional forum. However the candidacy was relegated following an agreement between Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Alberto Fernández. Mexico managed to twist Ortega’s arm but with the promise that this year the special spot would go to the Caribbean representative.

In November, prime minister of the 32 island chain in the Lesser Antilles which is almost 389 square kilometers in size and has a population of more than 104,000 people, also as a sign of the good relations he has with the government of Nicolás Maduro, He received in Caracas, the title of doctor Honoris Causa of Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV) for its “important contribution against imperial power group aggression”. Months earlier, the Venezuelan government had provided the island with 23,000 barrels of oil and had paid off a million dollar debt.

This island, although it has wide white sand beaches and mountains in its territory, is not dependent on tourism. It mainly relies on banana cultivation, which represents 50 percent of its exports.

Gonsalves knows Argentina. He was decorated by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina Héctor Timerman with the Order of the Liberator General San Martín with the title of Grand Cross, in early October 2013. And every time he meets an official from the Frente de Todos he repeats his catchphrase with an exaggerated Caribbean smile: ” How’s my friend Cristina?”

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