A bold billboard truck with an invitation to “Join Gaston’s OAS Chinaribbean cruise” greeted Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne during his visit to Washington today.
Browne is part of a top-level CARICOM delegation at the Organizaton of American States (OAS) for the election of an assistant secretary general, and for a special meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The colorful billboard truck, featuring palm trees and a Caribbean beach scene, refers to the upcoming OAS General Assembly meeting to be held in Antigua from June 25-27.
The truck was stationed for hours this morning in front of the OAS, across the street from the White House Ellipse.
Diplomats entering the OAS could be seen pointing at the truck and laughing about Browne.
The billboard truck patrolled the streets of downtown Washington past the OAS, the White House complex, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and the State Department.
Browne is under fire at home and abroad for alleged corruption and cronyism, and for an unusually close affinity for the People’s Republic of China.
“Gaston’s OAS Chinaribbean cruise” suggests that Gaston Browne is a Chinese tool for Beijing to “island hop” to dominate CARICOM and other parts of the Caribbean, according to a protest organizer who asked not to be named.
“Browne’s ambassador, Ronald Sanders, has been telling European diplomats around Washington that the Chinese regime paid his government cash to sponsor the OAS General Assembly next month. We are exposing it. This is corruption of Antigua and subversion of the OAS. China is not an OAS member,” said the organizer.
The “cruise” sign alludes to the controversial seizure and sale of the superyacht Alfa Nero, which is pictured at sea on the billboard. Browne’s government seized and sold the famous yacht at below-market value under opaque circumstances. An international lawsuit alleges that the $40 million sale was illegal, and that $10 million of the proceeds remain unaccounted for.
Browne is both prime minister and finance minister of his country. His opposition called for him to resign pending an outcome of the legal case, arguing that Browne’s handling of the issue has damaged Antigua and Barbuda’s international reputation.
The billboard points to www.GastonBrowne.org, a satirical news site about Browne and his alleged corruption.
