Dr Rowley and his demons

THE EDITOR: The Prime Minister's recent bellicose and exaggerated defence of TT’s immigration policy towards Venezuela whilst at the same time berating America’s, is vintage Rowleyian hypocrisy.

The warmth with which Dr Rowley has embraced the dictator Maduro has little, if anything, to do with any altruistic sentiments and is not predicated upon any clearly defined foreign policy imperatives, but rather is driven by narrow, self-serving ambitions.

Maduro, according to an OAS report, has committed crimes against humanity during his presidency. His allies include China, Russia, Iran and Turkey. Post independent Trinidad and Tobago adopted the principles of the Non Aligned Movement in 1970.

The movement established itself as an international organisation dedicated to promoting the interests of Third World nations within the sphere of international relations and determined that a broad policy of political neutrality was in its best interests particularly during the Cold War.

Rowley’s overt fealty to Maduro may have more to do with the latter’s clandestine visit to this country under the cover of darkness, without the glare of the media, rather than with any altruistic humanitarian concern for the plight of the Venezuelan people. That visit was followed by an official one by Maduro some weeks thereafter with all the attendant pomp, ceremony and of course publicity.

Which leader, who holds his country’s national and security interests uppermost in his mind, will open his country’s borders to thousands of immigrants, historically, culturally and linguistically different from his own and who possess little regard for the rule of law in their own home country?

David Rudder’s lyrics in his in Calypso “Panama” are by analogy, highly instructive: “dem doh wine and march round no Red House/Is Molotov, gun and ting/And dey say de biggest man over dey is de biggest corruption king.”

The PM's recent baying at the American moon was aimed at an audience of his one South American benefactor. That, coupled with his utterance that his Government has functioned without any corruption scandal, is symptomatic of a man who, not unlike King Saul, is being tormented by his demons. Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.

Peter Taylor via email