WILL THE UNITED STATES GIVE ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA THE VENEZUELA TREATMENT AFTER A FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT NATIONAL ELECTION RETURNED AN ILLEGALLY-ELECTED LEADER TO OFFICE?

In the aftermath of a National Election so poisoned by the widespread payment of cash to buy votes, the doling out of the promise of lucrative jobs, and the handing out of other illegal compensation, all designed to throw the election to the incumbent Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), thereby disqualifying all those who corruptly cruised into office, should the United States treat it as illegal, and take the type of action against Antigua's leader that it did earlier this year against Venezuela? That is the question.

Many legal experts in the United States are aware that Antigua's Prime Minister, GASTON BROWNE, who could already have a sealed Federal indictment handed down against him, in either the MADURO case in New York, or the SAAB MORAN case in Miami, or be named in the expected upcoming financial crime case, or by reason of his conduct in the ALFA NERO scandal, has reportedly been implicated, and faces potential exposure to money laundering , fraud and corruption here. A similar fact pattern was the case with former Venezuelan President NICOLAS MADURO MOROS, was forcefully removed from office, detained and taken to New York to face the music. Browne's close relationship with Maduro was more than just friendship.

The question arises: in the contact of America's move against Cuba, how many of the Cuban autocratic regime's political allies in the Eastern Caribbean will also find themselves on the receiving end of our criminal justice system this Fall, due to their own sins and transgressions? Leaders who fail to conduct free and fair elections deserve to be held accountable; the world is watching.