Camillo Michael Gonsalves is a politician and current Cabinet Minister in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Early life and education

Camillo Gonsalves was born in Philadelphia on 12 June 1972, the son of Ralph Gonsalves and his Jamaican wife Sonia Gonsalves.  

He attended school at the Kingstown Preparatory School and the St. Vincent Boys Grammar School.  He studied and began his career in the United States.  He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he worked as a journalist, and then a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School in Washington DC.  He also has a Master of Science degree in Global Affairs from New York University.

Career

A lawyer and journalist by training, Camillo Gonsalves is an internationally renowned diplomat who has ably represented St. Vincent & the Grenadines on the international stage. Through his keen diplomatic work, he has positioned our small island state at the center of global issues and as a trusted third party peacemaker that truly is a friend to all and a satellite to none.

Gonsalves subsequently worked as the Senior Crown Counsel for the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, before being appointed to diplomatic postings in various capacities in Cuba, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Korea, Libya, and the CARICOM region.

In November 2007, he became Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, replacing Ambassador Margaret Hughes-Ferrari.  In September 2013, he was appointed a Senator in the House of Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Consumer Affairs and Information Technology.

He successfully contested the East St. George seat in the 9 December 2015 election. He was appointed Minister of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Trade, Information, and Labour in the fourth Ralph Gonsalves Administration.

Personal life

Gonsalves is married and has one daughter. He is a member of St. John’s Anglican Church – Calliaqua.