The leaders of Saint Lucia’s two main political parties, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and Leader of the Opposition Allen Chastanet, have both commented on major potential shifts in the global power structure.
The global north is set for a major change on November 5, when the United States of America chooses its new President.
The political battle pits former President Donald Trump against the current U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris, in what is expected to be a highly consequential Decision Day 2024.
Among the key talking points for the election are economic issues, foreign policy, and voting rights and democracy—all of which could have an impact on the Caribbean.
The interconnectedness of global economies and environmental systems means that decisions made in larger countries can have ripple effects on the economies, environments, and social systems of small island developing states.
To this end, Prime Minister Pierre is hopeful that the positive relationship between Saint Lucia and the United States will remain, regardless of who assumes office.
“All elections have consequences,” Pierre said on Thursday. “The U.S. elections will have consequences not only for St. Lucia, but consequences for the world. The whole world is waiting with bated breath as a result of the elections. Saint Lucia is waiting also. Saint Lucia has been a traditional friend of the U.S. I see no reason why that friendship should not continue. I think our friendship will continue with the U.S., and hopefully, we hope that there is new investment, more investment in the entire region. But we are waiting, and we will accept the results when they come.”
In an exclusive interview with St. Lucia Times, Leader of the Opposition Allen Chastanet noted that he believes that whoever wins the elections will maintain positive foreign policy relations with Saint Lucia.
“I don’t think that there are going to be any fundamental differences between the two,” Chastanet said. “I think that the Caribbean maintains a pretty stable relationship with the U.S. and all of its Western allies. I think over time, and if we’re going to be honest with each other, it’s when the Republicans are in office that we tend to see more specific support for the region.”
“But in this particular instance, Kamala Harris is a new entity. While she was vice president, she would not have had a lot of influence on foreign policy for the U.S. at the time. And one would hope that, with her background in Jamaica, maybe she might bring a little bit more attention to the region. But that’s not something that we’ve seen from the Democrats in the past.”
Chastanet also responded to assertions that he was somehow overtly aligned with the policies and ideologies of Donald Trump, as referenced by Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley last year who referred to the Saint Lucia opposition leader as ‘Tropical Trump’.
Chastanet noted that while his United Workers Party (UWP) does have historic ties with the Republican Party in the U.S., and he does share physical similarities with Trump, his methods of governance are different from those of the former U.S. President.
“I suppose in many ways because I’m white. Because certainly if somebody looks at the policies of the United Workers’ Party, and in particular me, I don’t think that anybody can come to the conclusion that my style is anything close to Donald Trump. And, you know, I’ve heard people make the same comments about Ralph Gonsalves because of his complexion. So that may be on the surface, but inside, very different.
“But the United Workers’ Party is aligned with what’s called the International Democratic Union, a collection of political parties around the world that are conservative. The Republican Party is a member of that, and so is the Conservative Party in the U.K. There are parties in France and parties from all over the world—over 140 members of that organization and there are certain things that we do share,” Chastanet told St. Lucia Times.
Regardless of who wins the upcoming United States election, one thing is certain: the global political atmosphere looks set to change dramatically.
