Reagan News Conference on Grenada Invasion
Dublin Core
Title
Reagan News Conference on Grenada Invasion
Subject
Grenada Invasion
Description
[no text]
Creator
C-SPAN News
Source
“Reagan News Conference on Grenada Invasion.” C-SPAN.org. C-SPAN, 25 Oct. 1983. Statement.
Publisher
C-SPAN
Rights
[no text]
Language
English
Type
TV Broadcast
Moving Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Video recording
Duration
11 mins
Compression
MP4
Producer
C-SPAN
Director
C-SPAN
Transcription
I think we were all very horrified at the events which took place recently in Grenada. We, as part of the Organization of East Caribbean States, realizing that we are, of course, one region - we belong to each other, are kith and kin, we all have members of our state living in Grenada - we're very concerned that this event should take place again.
It is true that we have managed to live with the regime since March '79. And we felt quite clearly and we had good reason to believe that the Bishop regime was seeing it our way and was on the way to have elections. And we think this is the reason why himself and his Cabinet were destroyed, because he realized that the pressure we put on him to have elections was worthwhile, was right, and he'd begun to see that the democratic institutions must be put in place in any of these small countries.
It is even more important in a small island state, poor island state, to have the democratic institutions. And this we have had for a long time, and we've continued it and we wish to continue it. Grenada was an aberration in this respect. But that these men, who had for all these years accepted the Bishop regime should then, for their own reasons - and I think the power hungry reasons - decide to destroy the person whom they had accepted as their leader for so long, made us realize that this sort of assassination must not be allowed to continue in our country. It means that our people there are not safe. It means that Grenadians had never been given the chance to choose for themselves the country that they want. And, therefore, it is necessary for us to see to it that they have the opportunity to do so.
To do this, we have to isolate the persons who have committed the acts that they did last week, in killing off most of the Cabinet. And we have to ensure that, in fact, an interim government of persons of, not political greed, but persons who are good administrators and who are Grenadians who can run the country for a few months for the pure purpose of putting the country back on the democratic status, so that elections can take place as soon as possible. This is what you want to do so that Grenadians can choose for themselves the government they want and do not have, every few years have governments imposed on them by persons who will otherwise . . . [statement interrupted by a member of the press].
It is true that we have managed to live with the regime since March '79. And we felt quite clearly and we had good reason to believe that the Bishop regime was seeing it our way and was on the way to have elections. And we think this is the reason why himself and his Cabinet were destroyed, because he realized that the pressure we put on him to have elections was worthwhile, was right, and he'd begun to see that the democratic institutions must be put in place in any of these small countries.
It is even more important in a small island state, poor island state, to have the democratic institutions. And this we have had for a long time, and we've continued it and we wish to continue it. Grenada was an aberration in this respect. But that these men, who had for all these years accepted the Bishop regime should then, for their own reasons - and I think the power hungry reasons - decide to destroy the person whom they had accepted as their leader for so long, made us realize that this sort of assassination must not be allowed to continue in our country. It means that our people there are not safe. It means that Grenadians had never been given the chance to choose for themselves the country that they want. And, therefore, it is necessary for us to see to it that they have the opportunity to do so.
To do this, we have to isolate the persons who have committed the acts that they did last week, in killing off most of the Cabinet. And we have to ensure that, in fact, an interim government of persons of, not political greed, but persons who are good administrators and who are Grenadians who can run the country for a few months for the pure purpose of putting the country back on the democratic status, so that elections can take place as soon as possible. This is what you want to do so that Grenadians can choose for themselves the government they want and do not have, every few years have governments imposed on them by persons who will otherwise . . . [statement interrupted by a member of the press].
Files
Citation
C-SPAN News, “Reagan News Conference on Grenada Invasion,” Dominica's Involvement in the Grenada Revolution, accessed April 19, 2024, https://grenadaineugeniaera.omeka.net/items/show/4.