Chilean ambassador and Prime Minister Anthony shake hands after the cheque handing over
The Chilean government has made available US$10,000 to St. Lucia in support of its trough recovery efforts.
At a short ceremony at the prime minister’s office on Tuesday, Chilean Ambassador Eduardo Bonilla said that while the amount is not a huge sum, and may not solve all the damage caused by the Christmas Eve trough, he hopes it will make some difference in furthering the country’s restoration efforts.
Bonilla believes the gesture will further manifest Chile’s solidarity with the government and people of St. Lucia.
The funds will first be dispersed to Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA) through money transfer and will take effect within the next couple of days.
Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony, in graciously welcoming the gesture, said this was the direct result of his recent plea for aid at a meeting in Cuba where he called on Latin American countries to lend a hand to St. Lucia.
“I’m happy it didn’t fall on deaf ears,” he said.
Since the December 24, 2013 trough, a number of local, regional and international institutions and countries have provided aid to St. Lucia. The weather system had caused millions of dollars in infrastructural damage and six deaths.