Above: St Lucia

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Lucia, which joined the Venezuela-led ALBA alliance earlier this year, has named a non-resident ambassador to both ALBA and PetroCaribe.

The country has appointed Eustace Vitalis, an agricultural economist by training, to the post. Vitalis is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, having studied in Cuba and Brazil.

In a statement, the government said his role would involve “coordinating the operations and activities of the company which will be responsible for Petro Caribe, preparing projects for financing by Petro Caribe and ALBA, as well as providing supervision and overall management of these projects in Saint Lucia.”

Vitalis will also have the responsibility of providing policy advice and decision-making support to Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony and the country’s Energy Ministry.