Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne was presented with the “The Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins” by His Excellency Juan Aníbal Barría, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Chile, on Thursday 2nd February 2023 in a ceremony at the Official Residence of the Chilean Ambassador. This award is the highest civilian honor conferred by the Government of Chile to non-Chilean citizens, and is given in recognition of distinguished service in several spheres, including the arts, science, education, commerce and for cooperation in strengthening the friendly relations between Chile and a foreign country. The Order of Bernardo O’Higgins is an extension of the “Order of Merit of Chile” (1817) and was created in 1965 to grant recognition to foreign individuals.
Minister Browne received the decoration for his work in strengthening relations between the two countries while serving as non-resident Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to Chile (while resident in Brazil) from 2017 to 2020 and as Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs from 2020 to the present time. Minister Browne is the first national of Trinidad and Tobago to receive this award in its history.
On accepting the award, the Minister expressed gratitude to the Government of Chile and dedicated the honour to the Government and People of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the staff of the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and to his family for their support during his tenure as Ambassador and, now, as Minister.
Additionally, the Minister conveyed the hope that the award and his story leading to the receipt of the decoration, would inspire the younger nationals of Trinidad and Tobago to aspire to do what is right always and to work hard to achieve their dreams, knowing that they may be rewarded accordingly. He invited all those gathered at the presentation event to elevate the value and importance of diplomacy, integrity, respect, decency, and resilience.
The evening was also a further opportunity to bid farewell to Ambassador Juan Aníbal Barría and his spouse on the completion of his Tour of Duty in Trinidad and Tobago, which began in September 2018.
The staff of the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs extend hearty congratulations to the Minister on this achievement.
