Palo Seco protest over Petrotrin

THE Palo Seco/Erin Justice Committee has signalled its intention to stage the “parents of all marches” to express its frustration at Petrotrin’s closure and the State’s failure to provide alternative employment as well as the decision to stop the importation of regular gasoline which has sent the fishing industry into free fall.

Committee president Victor Roberts told reporters this after a demonstration at Palo Seco junction yesterday. “We are protesting the demolishing of the houses, the closure of Petrotrin without bringing anything to the table whereby people can survive. The unemployment within the community since Petrotrin closed is affecting all the businesses as well.

“We are protesting the increase of regular gas that send the fishing industry in our area down the drain, and the next step is a march from Erin to Port of Spain which will be the parents of all march in this country.” He said the march is a “strategic move” which may occur before the end of January.

From October 3, the OWTU held a three-day march to Port of Spain to highlight the then pending closure of Petrotrin.

UNC senator and attorney Gerald Ramdeen has said legal action was in the offing to prevent the demolishing of any houses in the district.

“In (Sangre) Grande they break one house, we went to court and all house-breaking stop. They will not touch one house in Cumoto/Manzanilla. I am here today to tell you they will not touch one house in Palo Seco.”

Ramdeen then asked the large crowd whether the ruling party had told them of the plan to close Petrotrion and demolish homes in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

“When they came for your vote in 2015, they didn’t tell you they going to close down Petrotrin, they didn’t tell you they going to break down houses. So when they come for your vote in 2020, you must run them.”

Ramdeen also promised a re-elected UNC administration would reverse the decision to halt the importation of regular gas, as the price of fish had skyrocketed since that decision.

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