Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he was forced to directly address allegations that had reached the White House claiming he and members of his family were doing business with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the claims as fabricated and politically motivated.
Speaking on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, Browne said he became aware of the allegation after sending correspondence intended for U.S. President Donald Trump through a senior intermediary.
“When I sent him (a contact in the White House) the letter, he called me back 10 minutes afterwards,” Browne said. “He said to me that there was information within the White House about me and my family members doing business with Maduro.”
Browne said he immediately issued a further written response to correct what he described as false claims.
“So I had to then write another correspondence that I sent to him to get to members of the White House to confirm that that is totally untrue, that it’s a fabrication,” he said.
The prime minister said the allegation stemmed from what he described as collusion between members of the political opposition in Antigua and Barbuda and U.S.-based attorneys connected to legal action over the sale of the Alfa Nero yacht.
He rejected suggestions that he or his family had engaged in illegal oil, gold, or other business dealings involving Venezuela.
“I don’t have any family members who trade directly or indirectly with Venezuela in gold, oil, in nothing,” Browne said. “Totally untrue.”
Browne said the claims were part of a broader effort to undermine him and damage the country’s international standing, noting that he has since instructed attorneys to pursue defamation action.
“All this is designed to defame, to undermine, not only me, but the country,” he said.
The prime minister said he has consistently acted to protect Antigua and Barbuda’s national interests and stressed that his remarks on Venezuela were focused on regional stability rather than support for any foreign leader.
“I’m defending Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean as a whole,” Browne said, adding that his concern has been the impact of regional instability on small, tourism-dependent states.
