Copyright trinidadexpress
Crowds of Venezuelans have taken to the streets of Caracas and other Venezuelan states to denounce Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar following the Venezuelan government’s declaration of her as a persona non grata and the suspension of all gas agreements with T&T. Organised by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), the demonstrations targeted Persad-Bissessar over her Government’s alignment with the United States, including her welcoming of US forces in Caribbean waters and recent docking of the US guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely in capital city Port of Spain. In Caracas on Monday, pro-government citizens walked through the streets holding placards featuring a caricatured or disfigured Persad-Bissessar. Images of Persad-Bissessar with horns and spiked ears, defaced or labelled a “criminal guerrista” were posted from the demonstration across social media. Some held photos of the Prime Minister upside down, referring to her as a traitor. Others referred to her as “devilish” and claimed she wanted to bring “war and death to Trinidad and Tobago”. Mayor of the Libertador municipality of Caracas Carmen Meléndez reportedly attended the event and spoke, stating Persad-Bissessar had “knelt” to the empire. “We continue in defence, we continue sending messages that Venezuela is a people of dignity, that Venezuela is prepared, and we tell the lackeys of the Empire, especially the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, that she has knelt before the empire,” she said at the event. The protests and declarations follow lethal boat strikes that have killed 57, and “military-to-military” exercises between the US and T&T militaries ongoing since the Gravely’s docking on Sunday. Venezuela has deemed the warship’s presence an act of hostile aggression and a plot to carry out a false-flag attack with the US, implicating it in the process. It claims to have captured a group of US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-funded mercenaries, who offered information of a false attack on the Gravely which the US planned to attribute to Venezuela. The “mobilisation” agenda was started by PSUV shortly after the ship’s arrival in local waters. Member and Venezuelan Justice Leader Diosdado Cabello announced such events were planned for the states of Sucre, Anzuáegui, Nueva Esparta and Delta Amacuro in the coming days. The protests were held from Monday and will continue “as -necessary”, he said. Referring to Persad-Bissessar, he said they were “...because of American imperialism with the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which is led by a woman who has called for the murder of her nationals who applaud the murder of people in the High seas”. He questioned the warship’s presence in the Gulf of Paria. “They have decided to do some exercises, allegedly, military exercises very close to Venezuelan territory. Moreover, they are face to face...they decided to do it there, having so much land around Trinidad. “Why are they doing it there? Because it’s a provocation. They want to provoke our country. Someone has to justify it somehow,” he said. He said Venezuelan demonstrations were a rejection of this. Cabello, who has previously openly criticised Persad-Bissessar—in September, referring to her as the “drunk woman” governing the island—said Trinidad and Venezuela were sister nations, with deep historical connections. “That lady is finishing her term, but Trinidad and Venezuela will -remain there. Nobody is going to move them. Nobody. Those towns are historically sister towns. You stand in Macuro at night and you can see Trinidad, the lights of -Trinidad, without any problem. It’s very, very, very close. “Historically, they have had a trade relationship. What’s more, most towns in Trinidad, they have the Spanish names of the city. Look it up and you’ll see. But anyway, this lady is obsessed with her—what’s it called?—with her alcoholic effervescence to demand the death penalty for their own people when they go fishing.” PM: A pattern of bullying Contacted for a response to Venezuela’s declaration on Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar had stated she was not daunted and referred to it as a continuation of a pattern of bullying carried out by the country. Persad-Bissessar—who had previously released a public statement in which she said US forces should kill all drug traffickers “violently”, in the aftermath of the first US strike that killed 11—questioned why US President Donald Trump was not being referenced by the Venezuelan government. “The warships engaged in the drug-interdiction exercises are American property; why isn’t Maduro and the rest of the Venezuelan government calling President Trump’s name? Why aren’t they making declarations of persona non grata against him? “The answer is obvious. They should call President Trump’s name; he is the commander of those warships. My Government will continue supporting drug-interdiction -exercises against narco-traffickers in -international waters,” she said.
