Antilles Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Manitoba
 Building of the AECRO in Manitoba | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 1, 1991 |
| Jurisdiction |
 Manitoba |
| Headquarters |
 45 O'Conner Street, Toscouné, Manitoba |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Parent agency | United Commonwealth Department of State |
The Antilles Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Manitoba (French: Bureau de représentation économique et culturelle des Antilles au Manitoba), shortened to AECRO in Manitoba, is a trade office representing the interests of the United Commonwealth of America (Antilles) in Manitoba. Located in the capital of Toscouné, it functions as the de-facto embassy of the Antilles to Manitoba in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the Antilles and Manitoba.
The office was established in 1991 after the federal government approved of establishing a de-facto diplomatic presence in the country and allowed the Antilles to establish their own trade office in the country as part of this new policy. The office is ran by William Ashcroft, who serves as the de-facto ambassador of the Antilles to the Commonwealth of Manitoba. There are additional offices across other cities in Manitoba with the main office being headquartered in Toscouné.
The Manitoban counterpart is the Manitoban Trade Office in Columbia, located in the Antillean capital of Columbia City, Hispaniola.
History
By the time that Manitoba had been established as a sovereign state, it had lacked relations with the Antilles as it was created in the decade after the Continental Revolutionary War and the creation of the present day United Commonwealth of Continental States. Manitoba's predecessor state of Canada had maintained relations with the pre-revolutionary American Commonwealth and Manitoba would recognize the Antilles as a sovereign state and as the United Commonwealth of America during the Great War when it was created as part of its membership in the American Coalition, but this was reversed following the war's end in accordance with the Treaty of New Orleans.
During the Cold War, Manitoba would retain informal diplomatic ties with the Antilles, however the repressive policies of its dictatorial president Amelia Abarough compelled the Manitoban government to limit this contact and frequently talked to Antillean officials through diplomatic actions taken by the Kingdom of Sierra. It wasn't until the beginning of democratization in 1983 after Abarough's death that Manitoba would engage in direct informal talks and later both countries would establish de-facto embassies in their respective capital cities in 1991.
Organization
Divisions
- Public Relations Division
- Services Division
- Education Division
- Economic Policy Division
- Information Division
- Science and Technology Division
- Political Information Division