Rowley unfazed by Trump blank: So what?

THE Prime Minister was unfazed by a perceived snub by the US whose President will tomorrow Friday meet five Caribbean leaders but left out TT.

Donald Trump will hosts leaders of the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia at his private resort at Mar-a-Lag to discuss the Venezuelan crisis and China trade practices. Rowley said a man’s house was his castle and so Trump was free to invite who he liked.

At today’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Dr Keith Rowley argued that TT’s stature on the world stage does not depend on whose private residence the country was invited to. He said TT stood tall and proud over its non-interventionist stance towards Venezuela. Rowley said young TT nationals largely did not know of TT’s proud history of fairness on the world stage, ranging from being one of the first to recognise the People’s Republic of China, to opposing apartheid in South Africa to opposing the US invasion of Grenada in the 1980s.

He quoted at length from the UN Charter that was the basis for a policy of non-intervention in another nation’s affairs.

“We are standing up for these principles never mind, while we are doing our best, our detractors are doing their worst to misinform and undermine.”

He hit detractors for claiming he was abandoning the Venezuelan people and protecting a dictator, for the sake of the Dragon gas deal.

“To reducing the people of TT’s position from the ones contained in the UN charter to talking about selling out 33 million people for the naked economic interest of a gas deal, as if we, proud Caribbean people are to be so insulted.”

He said the Government’s only wish for Venezuela is peace, stability and prosperity, within the construct of sovereignty, peace and the protection of the UN Charter. “We wish for the people and children of Venezuela what we wish for ourselves: A life with dignity, fulfilment and self-determination.”