… release from Prime Minister’s Office expresses concern regarding blog discrediting Guyana’s Consul General to B/dos
THE Government of St. Maarten has taken note of a press release by the Government of Guyana expressing its concern regarding allegations as printed in an online news blog discrediting both the Consul General to Barbados, Mr. Michael Brotherson and the Interim Director of the Department of Foreign Relations for St. Maarten.

In the absence of a consular representative, Mr.Brotherson was given full authorisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana to conduct consular duties, representing the interest of the Guyanese residents on St. Maarten. All necessary protocols with regard to accreditation were followed, including due process by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana and the Directorate of Foreign Relations of Country St. Maarten.
The St. Maarten Government regrets that our country’s name is being tarnished by irresponsible blogging, a statement from the office of the Prime Minister in St. Maarten said yesterday.
The statement said the consular activities by Mr. Brotherson were executed in total conformity with the applicable procedures on the basis of a request by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana.
“As a country, St. Maarten is obliged to treat consular officials of other countries with courtesies and protection afforded to all such personnel on the basis of the Vienna Convention.
The falsehoods contained in the story on aforementioned blog site, could have seriously jeopardized the relationship between Guyana and St. Maarten, based on articles of the Vienna Convention on consular relations “The Government of Guyana has also stated that they will issue a letter of warning to the blogger, and that legal actions could result if no heed is taken.
“The Council of Ministers has been informed of this communiqué and further action is possible. A breach of the Vienna Convention is a serious issue and the Government of St. Maarten will not accept that any individual or group compromises the name of St. Maarten for personal reasons.
“The Government of St. Maarten again stresses that due diligence was followed in the matter related to consular activities of Guyana on St. Maarten. Meanwhile the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana has issued a statement that all consular fees, as fixed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, were processed in accordance with the financial regulations of the Government of Guyana, with the required Government receipts issued.
“The Government of St. Maarten is concerned with these incidents of false “news” stories, baseless allegations, and unfounded damaging reports which circulate on this so-called news blog. While the Government of St. Maarten is all for ensuring and respecting the freedom of the press and appreciates the role the media plays in informing the public, the media too has to operate within the framework of professional and ethical journalism and respect for the rights of others,” the statement concluded.
The online news blog referred to was written by Bibi Hodge Shaw of St. Maarten.