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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Caricom has proven to be an unreliable partner, as it has chosen Venezuela over Trinidad and Tobago. In an interview on Ian Alleyne’s Crime Watch programme on Monday night, the Prime Minister was asked whether she believes she has the full support of regional heads in Caricom regarding Trinidad and Tobago’s position in support of the United States’ war on narco-trafficking and cartels. Persad-Bissessar acknowledged that she does not, reiterating that while others call for the Caribbean to remain a “zone of peace,” the reality is that Trinidad and Tobago is far from it, suffering from record murder rates and the trafficking of guns, drugs, and humans. “It is clear I would be burying my head in the sand if I were to say yes. It is very clear that some of our Caricom partners have taken a different view by talking about the zone of peace. But there is no zone of peace in Trinidad and Tobago. Maybe there is a zone of peace in some of those other Caricom neighbours because they are further north. We are the closest here to the mainland, and of course we are being hit—really seriously hit—with drug trafficking, gangs, cartels, and gun running. That is not happening in their countries,” she said. The Prime Minister continued, “They are not having 600 murders in a year, you know. Their crime is not what is happening in Trinidad and Tobago. So they are saying it’s a zone of peace, keep a zone of peace, but Trinidad and Tobago is definitely not a zone of peace. We have witnessed too many murders, too much crime, and too much drug running, human trafficking, and gun running in Trinidad and Tobago. So Caricom has proven to be an unreliable partner in some regards because they chose Venezuela over Trinidad, and that is something we need to remember.” Venezuela’s suspension of gas agreements Questioned on the Venezuelan government’s move to suspend gas agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, Persad-Bissessar said her government has not received any communication regarding this decision. However, she said this is not of grave concern to her administration, which is focused on economic diversification. “This may be of concern to some, but it is definitely not a great concern to Trinidad and Tobago because our future does not depend on Venezuela and never was or has been, because we have plans and projects to grow our economy both within the energy and non-energy sectors,” she said. She said the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government mistakenly placed “all the eggs in the Dragon basket,” but her government has not done so. “And therefore, we are not susceptible to any blackmail from Venezuela for political support. We continue to maintain very peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela, and we have not had any energy discussions with the Venezuelan government since we came into office,” she said. Persad-Bissessar said the government has plans and projects in the tourism, agricultural, and other sectors across various ministries. She added that next week, the government will launch consultations with stakeholders in the state enterprise sector, the private sector, and the wider public sector, with more details to be shared soon. “We are not putting all our eggs in the energy basket, and most certainly we are not putting all our eggs in the Dragon basket,” she said. Claims about the CIA and T&T’s war on Venezuela Asked about Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s claim that Trinidad and Tobago and the CIA were in cahoots to wage war against Venezuela, the Prime Minister said she has received no official communication on the matter. “But I can answer—that is not true. What is taking place now are joint training exercises between the US and our military here to improve our internal security,” she said. The Prime Minister asserted that no one will curb T&T’s efforts to combat narco-trafficking. “No one—whether it is the Venezuelan government, Caricom, or any other entity—will pressure or blackmail my government into retreating from the fight against drug cartels,” she said. She added, “We are tired of seeing our citizens murdered and terrorized because of gang violence driven by drugs, illegal arms trafficking, and human trafficking. The safety of our citizens is my duty and my main concern, and we will do what we can to keep them safe and make them safer.” PM: T&T not a US military base Questioned on how she would respond to Venezuela’s claim that T&T is being used as a base for US military operations, Persad-Bissessar said, “That is certainly not true—absolutely untrue. We are not being used as a base. We have had ships come here before, a ship came now, and ships will come after because we have a history of cooperation with the United States.” She noted that the US is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest trading partners. “I say categorically we have no plans for Trinidad and Tobago to be used as a base for any military interventions anywhere else,” she said, adding that there has been no such request from the US. The Prime Minister reaffirmed that T&T stands in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. She said the US Navy, while in Trinidad, would assist with training and humanitarian projects in schools, as well as help restore dilapidated Coast Guard bases across the country. “That is what this visit is all about—military cooperation for training and humanitarian benefits for the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
