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PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Caricom was not a reliable partner but had chosen Venezuela over Caricom member state Trinidad and Tobago, in a statement made on the Crimewatch television show to host Ian Alleyne on October 27. She spoke just hours after Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez had said her country would not collaborate on any energy projects with TT, which Rodriguez had earlier accused of aggression towards her country by way of the visit to the Port of Spain dock of US destroyer the USS Gravely, part of a US anti-narcotics fleet now gathering in the Southern Caribbean, which some commentators allege may be intent on regime change in Caracas. Persad-Bissessar retorted that TT had no need of Venezuelan gas, saying this country had other projects in both the energy and non-energy sectors. Otherwise, Persad-Bissessar said the House of Representatives would meet on October 31 to vote on the government's proposal to extend the current state of emergency (SoE), that had been called after claims that an amalgam of criminal gangs were plotting to overthrow the government. The government originally called the SoE on July 18 and then on July 28 extended it by a further three months until late October. Former foreign affairs minister Dr Amery Browne, in a text via WhatsApp to Newsday, remarked, "This prime minister has created major problems for TT and is now blaming all and sundry except herself and her ministers." He said she had isolated the government from Caricom and had openly rejected the concept of a zone of peace. "The truth about TT and Caricom is that we are always stronger together." Persad-Bissessar said the government had not been notified by Venezuela of any official policy decisions or conversations. "This may be of concern to some but it is definitely not of concern to TT. Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has, because we have plans and projects to grow our economy both with the energy and non-energy sectors. "The last government mistakenly placed all their eggs in that one Dragon basket." She said, by contrast, her government had not done that and so was "not susceptible to any blackmail from Venezuela for political support." The PM said that since taking office, her government had held no energy discussions with the Venezuelan government. Persad-Bissessar vowed to diversify TT's economy via projects in the tourism and agriculture sectors, plus non-energy projects under several ministries to be rolled out next week. "We are not putting all our eggs in the energy basket and most certainly we are not putting all the eggs in the dragon basket." PM: TT will not be used as US military base She was asked about Rodriguez's claim TT was collaborating with the CIA to wage a war on Venezuela. "Again, I have no official communication from that, that I can answer. That is not true. "What is taking place now are joint training exercises between the US and our military here for improving our internal security and I will share with you, I stand by my words that no-one, whether it is the Venezuelan government, Caricom or any other entity, no one, will pressure us or blackmail my government from retreating from the fight against drug cartels." She said she was tired of seeing TT nationals murder and terrorised because of gang violence, driven by illegal drugs, arms trafficking and human trafficking. "We will do what we can to make them safe and keep them safer." The PM rejected claims TT was being turned into a US military base. "That is certainly not true. "We have had ships before. We have a history of co-operation with the US, and we must remember the US is one of the largest nations, one of our largest trading partners. "So I say categorically, we have no plans for TT to be used as a base for any military adventures." Asked how she balanced her relations with Caricom and the US, she said she stood in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. "We have no intention as I say for TT to be used as a base. There has been no such request from the US, and instead the request for training and humanitarian projects. On August 24, in a statement, she said she had not received any US request to use TT, but added, "However, I want to make it very clear that if the Maduro regime launches any attack against the Guyanese people or invades Guyanese territory and a request is made by the American Government for access to Trinidadian territory to defend the people of Guyana, my Government will unflinchingly provide them that access." 'No zone of peace in TT' "It is very clear some of our Caricom partners have taken a different view, talking about a zone of peace. But there is no zone of peace in TT." Unlike islands further north, she said TT was being seriously hit by drug-trafficking, gangs, human trafficking and gun-running. "They are not having 600 murders in a year, you know! TT is definitely not a zone of peace. "So Caricom is proving to be an unreliable partner in some regards, because they chose Venezuela over Trinidad." Persad-Bissessar's statements came days after Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley denounced US military attacks against alleged drug-transport vessels in regional waters. The US claims the now 11 strikes have killed 49 men that it deemed to be narco-terrorists. Speaking at a Barbados Labour Party annual conference on October 25, Mottley identified the killings as extra-judicial, saying peace in the region was being threatened by the US military action. "We have to speak up," Mottley said. "I believe that the time has come for us, therefore, to be able to ensure that we do not accept that any entity has the right to engage in extra-judicial killings of persons that they suspect of being involved in criminal activities.” She said Barbados believed in the rule of law, and that if there was intelligence suggesting those being attacked were an immediate threat to the US, then Washington had a duty to share that with the region. Mottley said she did not accept that any nation in the region or greater Caribbean should be the subject of any unilateral expression of force and violence by any third party or nation. “If there are conflicts and disputes that are in need of resolution, then the place that they need to be taken for such resolution is the United Nations organisation and the methodology that must be deployed for the resolution is one of negotiation and peaceful actions taken in order to ensure that we can settle disputes.” PM offers prayers for Jamaica Alleyne asked about TT students in Jamaica now facing Hurricane Melissa. The PM said, "We offered airlift out of Jamaica for some of our students. Some responded, some did not. "Those who remained, our high commission in Jamaica has been liaising with them, providing them with supplies. "I think we have done our share of trying to help them in the best way we can." She speculated some may have waited too late to leave, watching weather reports until the airports were closed. "Other countries have done the same. Other Caricom nations did not even send in airlift for their students. I think we also did some airlift for Bajan students as well, I'm being advised. About 25 Bajan students." Persad-Bissessar offered her prayers for the people and government of Jamaica. "In addition, I have already begun mobilising support for Jamaica. We have already begun to mobilise supplies to send to Jamaica." She said she asked Jamaica PM Andrew Holness to notify her what help would be needed, as she mulled human resource, technical support and essential food items. "I put a team in place. We are mobilising." She urged TT nationals to donate supplies to Jamaica. Told the SoE ends on October 28, she said she intended to extend it. She said, "The commissioner of police has given to our attorney general and other members of the National Security Council the recommendation that the SoE be extended. "The motion to do so has now been placed on the order paper by the Parliament, for debate on Friday (October 31) of this week at 1.30 pm." The PM said she was satisfied by the outcome of the SoE, noting "a tremendous reduction in the murder rate." She accused the opposition of "a running narrative" of seemingly not opposing criminal activity in TT, including during this SoE. "They seem to be on the side of the criminals. "We cannot stand for that. We stand firm. We will stand our ground. We will do the best we can to ensure greater safety and security for the people of TT."
