The US should stop violating our constitution-Edmund Maduro
Mr Maduro also said he plans to write a letter to the United Nations and Queen Elizabeth II in the ambitious hope of having them intervene in this matter.
“The United States has no right in trying to bully us into giving up certain financial services information. If they think they have a case to request certain information then they need to abide by our constitution and go through the proper channel, which would include a court of law,” Mr Maduro told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview.
Asked what evidence he had to show that the United States was attempting to violate the VI Constitution to get information from the Financial Services industry in the VI, Mr Maduro alleged that he knows that officials from the United States and the VI, including Premier Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, went to the UK to discuss information sharing.
“The Premier went up to London to discuss that with the United States and UK but we should not be pressured into giving up certain information that is in violation of our constitution and jeopardizes financial services.”
Mr Maduro said in light of this he plans to write a letter to the Queen as well as the United Nations. “I would be very disappointed if the United Kingdom was going to allow the United States to have their way and force us to give up certain information on financial services. The United Kingdom has a responsibility to protect our economy as an Overseas Territory and the United Nations has a responsibility to ensure that a country’s constitution is not violated by another country.”
The outspoken Maduro also said he was not afraid to oppose the US and that the VI should stand their ground. “Sure they have military might but that should not intimidate us. Sure they could probably take me out but I will not be intimidated and I will continue to say more about this on my radio programme on Saturday,” Mr Maduro firmly said.
The [British] Virgin Islands has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the USA which allows access to information relating to criminal tax investigations.
Only recently, Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith claimed success in combating negative comments raised about the Financial Services sector in the Territory in the wake of an effective public relations campaign.
While speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, July 9, 2013 about some of the issues raised in his Territorial address issued on July 5, 2013, Dr Smith referred to strides made in suppressing the negative feedback brought on by an attack on the Territory’s Financial Services sector recently.
He also said that the sector continues to be well regulated and those interested in using the structure were welcome to do so.
Premier Smith had roundly condemned the ‘unlawful’ publication of financial services material in the international media first made public by the UK Guardian in April, 2013 through a group referred to as the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
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20 Responses to “The US should stop violating our constitution-Edmund Maduro”
Jealous expat, scatter your backside!
in many matters, and allows the US to control. Yet the UK has been like that around the world too, since
before it originally 'settled' (stole) north america from its natives centuries ago, and also engaged in slavery
as did the US. For all the grandstanding and concern about human rights - both major powers have behaved
in a unified manner. The UK won't allow asylum or amnesty to those who stand up to the US, and vice versa.
The US NSA has scared foreigners from even friendly telecommunications with US citizens recently. So very sad. People are afraid to email or call on phone for just normal relations thanks to the US NSA and CIA as
well as the British M15 and so on. And what with the increase of senseless violence, this all just makes things worse. Some Americans want to move out of the US and are finding there is interference in that.