View source for 2022 visit by Kenneth O'Conner to the Antilles

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{{Infobox event
|title = 2022 visit by Kenneth O'Conner to the Antilles 
|image = [[File:O'Conner speaking at the Presidential Palace in Columbia City (2022).jpg|300px]]
|caption = [[Kenneth O'Conner]] speaking to the press at the [[Presidential Palace]] in [[Columbia City]], [[Hispaniola]].
|date = August 25–27, 2022
|location = {{Flagicon|Antilles}} [[Columbia City]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Antilles]] 
|type = {{W|State visit}} 
|cause = [[2021–23 Caribbean diplomatic crisis]]
}}
On 25 August 2022, [[Kingdom of Sierra]] politician [[Kenneth O'Conner]], while serving as [[Leader of the Opposition (Sierra)|Leader of the Opposition]] and the [[Royalist Party of Sierra|Royalist and Federalist Party]], visited the [[Antilles]] (officially the United Commonwealth of America) as part of a three day visit to the partially-recognized island country in the {{W|Caribbean}}. O'Conner was accompanied by a delegation of Royalist Party politicians and was a largely surprised and unsanctioned visit which was part of a wider tour by O'Conner to other countries in [[Anglo-America]], specigically nations aligned with the [[Conference of American States]]. The visit was not sanctioned by the [[Government of the Kingdom of Sierra|federal government]] in Sierra and was criticized by [[Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sierra|Prime Minister]] [[Susan Kwon]] and her government. 

[[United Commonwealth Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Bradley Gallagher]] received O'Conner and his delegation and was one of several Antillean government and state officials to meet with O'Conner and his delegation in [[Columbia City]], [[Hispaniola]]. Upon his arrival, O'Conner said his visit was to represent Sierra's "silent but strong commitment towards the Antilles in defense of freedom against [[Landonism|Landonist]] aggression". The trip included meeting with several government officials, including those in the [[Executive Council of the United Commonwealth|Executive Council]], and a meeting with [[President of the United Commonwealth of America|President]] [[Arian Lawrence]] at the [[Presidential Palace (Antilles)|Presidential Palace]].

The visit ended on August 27 with O'Conner giving an interview with [[CBS News]] on ''[[Face the Nation]]'' before departing for [[Brazoria]]. The visit was condemned by the [[United Commonwealth]] in the [[American mainland]], which sent diplomatic warnings to the Sierran government through diplomatic channels. Two days after the visit on August 29, the [[Chattanooga Pact]] began a [[2022 Chattanooga Pact military exercises|series of military exercises]] in and around the {{W|Gulf of Mexico}} and the {{W|Caribbean Sea}} between the armed forces of the United Commonwealth, [[Mexico]], and the [[United People's Committees]]. The visit was condemned by the Continental States and its allies as a provocative move while in the CAS and [[European Community]] it was met with mixed reception overall. 
==Background==
{{See also|Political status of the Antilles}} 
[[File:Cross-Sea Conflict.svg|thumb|The American mainland controlled by the Continental States (red) and the Antilles controlled by the American Commonwealth (blue).]]
The last Sierran politician to have visited the Antilles prior to 2022 was [[Matthew Braggs]], then Leader of the Opposition and Royalist Party, in 1997 where he visited the island nation to show solidarity with the country in the face of Antilles' [[Cross-Sea conflict|continuous conflict]] with the Continental States and traveled to commemorate the country's role in opposing [[Landonism]] during the [[Cold War]] in the Caribbean. Braggs' visit was the first by any Sierran politician to have occured since the end of the [[Great War]] in 1938 and occurred towards the end of the [[Cold War]] where the Antilles had begun its process of [[Democratization of the Antilles|democratization]] as well. O'Conner, a supporter of the Antilles and recognizing it as an independent state, announced his plans to visit the island country in on April 2, 2022. The news was first announced by [[EBN News]] before it was later confirmed in an official statement by O'Conner himself saying he was looking for the "correct time" to visit the country.

At the time of O'Conner's announcement, the [[2021–22 Caribbean diplomatic crisis|Caribbean diplomatic crisis]] had broken out following the [[Amazonas incident]] in December 2021 and resulted in a major decline in the [[United Commonwealth–Conference of American States relations|diplomatic relations]] between the United Commonwealth and the Conference of American States since the formalization of relations in 1998 and tensions would rise to levels not seen since the Cold War with allies of both parties taking sides and getting involved. O'Conner would condemn the sinking of the Amazonas and pushed for harsh economic sanctions on the United Commonwealth, the Andes and its allies and would co-sponsor and [[Economic Freedom and Trade Act]] in February 2022. O'Conner would formally announce a visit in April 2022 and on June 24, he stated that he was in talks with Antillean officials to organize a formal visit that would be part of a wider tour that he named the "Caribbean and America's Freedom Tour". O'Conner stated that a visit by Sierran and CAS officials to the Antilles was necessary as a means of showing gratitude to the country's [[Antilles during the Caribbean diplomatic crisis|role in the conflict]] on behalf of the CAS. On June 26, O'Conner stated that he would visit the country even knowing that the federal government led by the Kwon ministery would condemn such an act. 

On August 1, a spokesperson for O'Conner announced that the visit would last three days and would begin on the 25th. In an opinion piece written for EBN News' website, O'Conner argued that the visit was to show gratitude to the Antilles for its role in the Caribbean conflict and that the world "stands at a crossroad between western democratic freedoms and Landonist tyranny". 
==Visit==
[[File:President George W. Bush talks with Colonel Mark Bauknight, Colonel John “Red” Millander, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Congressman Henry Brown.jpg|thumb|250px|O'Conner (second from the right) greeted on the runway by [[Bradley Gallagher]] (far right), [[Dwight Kenton-Smith]], and two [[United Commonwealth Air Force|Air Force]] officers.]]
[[File:O'Conner on Face the Nation.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Kenneth O'Conner]] appearing on ''[[Face the Nation]]'', one of the most viewed Antillean news programs.]]
After departing from his home [[Provinces of Sierra|province]] of the [[Inland Empire]] in [[Sierra|Federal Sierra]], O'Conner and his delegation arrived without incident at [[Columbia City]], [[Hispaniola]], at 7:43 pm {{W|Caribbean Standard Time}} via a {{W|Boeing C-40 Clipper|K.S. Air Force transport plane}} and was received by [[United Commonwealth Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Bradley Gallaghar]] and [[Amanda Odenkirk]], Director of the [[Sierran Institute in the Antilles]] (SIA). O'Conner posted on his [[Bubbler]] account that his visit as proof of the Kingdom of Sierra's "often quiet yet ardent commitment toward the Antilles' defiance towards Continental tyranny and successful experiment in liberty and freedom". Upon his arrival, O'Conner was met with several officials of the ruling [[Federalist Party of the Antilles|Federalist Party]] which endorsed the visit along with the [[National Libertarian Party]] while the opposition [[Civic Democratic Party of the Antilles|Civic Democratic Party]] sent no representatives.

O'Conner's delegation of Sierran [[Member of Parliament (Sierra)|Members of Parliament]] and [[Member of the American Parliament|Members]] of the [[American Parliament]] consisted of the following: 
*[[Angelina Barton]] (R–Buttonwillow) 
*[[Matthew DeSantis]] (R–Indio Springs) 
*[[Joe Millard]] (R–Rio Bravo)
*[[Camden Robinson]] (R–Laurel Glen) 
*[[Joshua Garrett]] (ACC–South Arizona) 
*[[Evan Hutchison]] (ACC–Southwestern Corridor) 
On the morning of August 26, O'Conner had breakfast at the Sierran Institute in the Antilles before he visited the [[Presidential Palace (Antilles)|Presidential Palace]] with his delegation where he met with Antillean government officials among them being [[President of the United Commonwealth of America|President]] [[Arian Lawrence]] where the two conservative politicians discussed the [[Antilles–Sierra relations|complex relations]] between the Antilles and the Kingdom of Sierra, the ongoing Caribbean crisis, [[Operation Poseidon's Watch]], and the push to seek Antillean recognition and acceptance into the wider international community including ascension into the Conference of American States. Just before the two leaders began their discussion, O'Conner posed for a picture along with Lawrence standing in front of a portrait of the late [[Amelia Abarough]], the founder of the Antillean state and the first president who reigned from 1921 until her death in 1983. O'Conner later remarked that Abarough was an example of a "strong iron-hearted leader" who stood against the "Crimson hordes in defense of freedom". Said action and statements would later be a source of international controversy, especially in [[Anglo-America]].

==Reactions==
===Kingdom of Sierra===
O'Conner's visit was a source of controversy in the Kingdom of Sierra as the visit was largely criticized by the federal government under the [[Kwon ministry]]. [[Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sierra|Prime Minister]] [[Susan Kwon]] accused O'Conner of engaging in a "utterly reckless" act and claimed that his visit had risen the risk of further conflict. [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sierra)|Foreign Minister]] [[Maggie Chan]] warned that O'Conner's visit threatened to undermine the "fragile but necessary" ambiguous relation with the Antilles and also warned of potential increase in tension and relations. Both the [[Social Democrats of Sierra|Social Democrats]] and the [[Democratic-Republican Party of Sierra|Democratic-Republican Party]] condemned the visit along with the [[Green Party of Sierra]] with Green Party leader [[Jonathan Mueller]] accusing O'Conner of "pandering to derzhy reactionaries" with his praise of Amelia Abarough. [[Duane Lulani]], who is considered a leading Democratic-Republican advocate for the Antilles, also criticized the trip, believing that O'Conner had harmed regional relations.

On the other side of the aisle, O'Conner's trip to the Antilles was nearly unanimously supported by the [[Royalist Party of Sierra|Royalist]] and [[Libertarian Party of Sierra|Libertarian]] parties, who have long pushed for greater recognition of the Antilles. Deputy Leader of the Royalist Party [[Isabelle Huynh]] referred to O'Conner's visit as "historic" and "groundbreaking", while [[Senate of the Kingdom of Sierra|K.S. Senator]] [[Preston Barton]], whose cousin [[Angelina Barton]] was a member of O'Conner's delegation, said the trip will "mend an important relationship damaged by [Kwon]". Leader of the Libertarian Party [[Ryan Porter]] also referred to the visit as "historic" while prominent Libertarian politician [[Sarah Behrman]] denounced the criticism of O'Conner's trip, alleging that his critics were being "influenced by Chicago". [[President of the Deseret]] [[Jeremiah Tanner]] and [[First Minister of Bajaría]] [[Carmen Silva-Reyes]] both congratulated O'Conner for visiting the Antilles, with Silva-Reyes announcing her own interest in visiting the island nation.  
===United Commonwealth=== 
{{See also|2022 Chattanooga Pact military exercises}} 
===International===
====Intergovernmental organizations====
*{{Flag|Conference of American States}} – [[Secretary-General of the Conference of American States|Secretary-General]] [[Johann Hauptsmann]] held a press conference where he expressed surprise that O'Conner visiting the Antilles, but stated that his visit was legal and that the Continental response was disproportionate and injust, accusing the Continental government and the Chattanooga Pact of "burning a farm over roadkill". On September 1, the [[American Security Council]] stated that it was monitoring the Chattanooga Pact military exercises and stated that the CAS would "respond instantly" if the Antilles was militarily threatened. 
*{{Flag|European Community}} – A spokesperson for the [[European Community]] released a statement emphasizing the supranational union's commitment to the One America policy while also expressing a desire for "friendly relations and close cooperation with Hispaniola". On August 30, a European Community foreign policy representative released a statement condemning the Chattanooga Pact's response to O'Conner's visit. 
*[[File:ICMMO.svg|25px]] [[International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations|Marxist–Maoist Conference]] – The Marxist–Maoist Conference condemned the visit and accused O'Conner of "appealing to reactionary radicals to oppose workers' liberation" with his visit and support for the Antilles. The ICMMO reiterated their view of the Antilles as illegitimate and called on its members and supporters to boycott Sierran goods and products in protest. 
*[[File:Landintern Logo.svg|25px]] [[Landonist International]] – The Landintern condemned the visit and accused O'Conner of ending a months-long period of relative peace and stability, viewing it as an declaration of support for "Antillean and counter-revolutionary aggression against the Continental state in service of oppressive goals". The Landintern also accused O'Conner of being far-right for his praise of Amelia Abaorugh's leadership and called on Landintern supporters and allies to boycott all Sierran goods, products, and businesses in protest. 
====Countries====
*{{Flag|Alaska}} – [[President of Alaska|President]] [[Nicolas McCarty]] expressed support for the visit believing that O'Conner's visit was both legal and a sign of gratitude for the role that the Antilles has played in the conflict. His reasoning for his view was Alaska's "legal and moral obligation to support all CAS member states and allies" including the Antilles and condemned the Chattanooga Pact, accusing them of overreaction that threatens further conflict. 
*{{Flag|Brazoria}} – [[Chancellor of Brazoria|Chancellor]] [[Ed Gonzales]] released a statement on August 26 where he declared his support for O'Conner's visit citing his legality and that the visit was a necessary act to show gratitude for the Antilles' role in the conflict. Gonzales condemned the Continental response and threats against the CAS, warning that it would retaliate in a proportional matter if the United Commonwealth fell through with its threats. 
*{{Flag|China}} – [[President of the Republic of China|President]] [[Zhao Meijin]] expressed concern over O'Conner's intentions and beliefs with his visit accusing him of ignoring "blatantly obvious" risks in regards to his visit and accused him of supporting right-authoritarianism for his praise of Abarough and support for the Antilles. [[Premier of the Republic of China|Chinese premier]] [[Wan Kaige]] would release a statement on August 31 stating that the visit was proof of the Sierran state's "hypocritical view of freedom". 
*{{Flag|France}} – [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]] [[Oscar de Saint-Just]] released a statement saying that the United Commonwealth's response was dispraportionate and that the visit did not justify the regional exercise and threats by the Continental government against CAS member states. 
*{{Flag|Manitoba}} – [[Prime Minister of Manitoba|Prime Minister]] [[Matthew McCarthy]] publically expressed his support for O'Conner's vist and accused questions of its legality as "foolish nonsense". While McCarthy did express mild criticism of O'Conner's comments on Abarough by calling them "poorly worded", he nonetheless viewed the visit as a positive move and stated that it was a justified act of gratitude and solidarity between the CAS member states. He also condemned the Chattanooga Pact's military exercises in response and accused them of threatening violent attacks, risking escalating the conflict in the Caribbean. 
*{{Flagicon|Vietnam}} [[North Vietnam]] – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement stressing support for negotiation and called on Sierra to showcase restraint. The Foreign Office also reiterated North Vietnamese support for the United Commonwealth in the Caribbean crisis. 
*{{Flag|Spain}} – [[Prime Minister of Spain|Prime Minister]] [[Gabriel Perez]] condemned O'Conner's visit calling it "utterly reckless" and accused him of "pandering to reactionary fools" by praising Abarough as a strong leader. He expressed interest in sanctioning O'Conner, but admitted it was unlikely due to his support for Sierran prime minister Susan Kwon and questionable support in parliament. 
*{{Flag|Superior}} – [[Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Superior)|Secretary of Foreign Affairs]] [[Andrew Keyes]] released a statement condoning O'Conner's visit and expressing his support for it while also repeating O'Conner's claims that his visit reflected a quiet support of the Antilles, one that was shared in Superior. [[President of Superior|President]] [[Isaac Dillon]] also supported the visit and stated that the Chattanooga Pact response was antagonistic while implying a potential visit to the island state by Dillon himself.
*{{Flag|United Kingdom}} – [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Clive Spencer]] released a statement where he expressed his personal approval of O'Conner's visit calling it a "necessary and deserved act of gratitude" towards the Antilles for their "defense of the Caribbean from Continental and Andean terror". He also condemned the Chattanooga Pact's military exercises and accused them of seeking to escalate the conflict for their own gains. [[Tony Robinson]], Spencer's deputy prime minister, held a press conference at {{W|10 Downing Street}} in {{W|London}} where he also expressed support for the visit and implied that he would visit the Antilles in the near future. He stated that Britain was "100% behind the Antilles" citing its recognition of the island country in 2020 and accused the Chattanooga Pact of threatening war with their response.

==Interpretations and popular responses==
==Aftermath==
==See also==
{{Portal|Politics|Antilles|Kingdom of Sierra}}
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Foreign relations of the Antilles]]
*[[Foreign relations of the Kingdom of Sierra]]
*[[Foreign relations of the United Commonwealth]]
*[[Antilles–Kingdom of Sierra relations]]
*[[Sierra–United Commonwealth relations]] 
*[[Cross-Sea relations]]
*[[History of the United Commonwealth]]
*[[History of the Antilles]]
*[[2021–23 Caribbean diplomatic crisis]]
*[[One America]]
*[[Continental Revolutionary War]]
*[[Gulf of Mexico crisis]] 
{{div col end}} 
{{Antilles–Sierra relations}}
{{Sierra–United Commonwealth relations}} 
[[Category:2022 in the Antilles]]
[[Category:2022 in Sierran politics]]
[[Category:2022 in international relations]]
[[Category:2021–23 Caribbean diplomatic crisis]]
[[Category:August 2022 events in North America]]
[[Category:Diplomatic visits]]
[[Category:Kenneth O'Conner]]
[[Category:Antilles–Kingdom of Sierra relations]]
[[Category:Cross-Sea relations]] 
[[Category:Kingdom of Sierra–United Commonwealth relations]]