Charles: We still don’t know how many V’zuelans in TT

NAPARIMA MP Rodney Charles said even after Government’s registration process it is still not known how many Venezuelans are in TT.

He was contributing to the budget debate in the Parliament yesterday and commented on the registration process in June, when, in two weeks, 16,523 Venezuelans were registered to allow them to live and work for a year.

“Even after registration, we still have the fundamental question of how many Venezuelans reside in the country. There is no accurate data, no statistics of how many here. How can the Government tell the BBC their figures (in their documentary are) wrong? We have no figure.”

Charles said there has been no real lockdown of this country’s borders and it is left vulnerable.

“We (in the UNC) are concerned that Venezuelans are treated humanely, but the process must be transparent and be able to stand scrutiny.”

He said the country suspects there are more than 40,000 Venezuelans living here, and others coming daily. Charles said there is no healthcare policy for them and no education for their children.

Charles also said there was no plan to utilise the skills base of the Venezuelans to offset deficiencies in TT.

He said the National Security Ministry is reporting 1,923 visas have been issued as of October, but this was inconsistent with what was coming out of the TT Embassy in Caracas.

“Is it the left hand don’t know what the right hand doing?”

He said there have been complaints by embassy staff in Venezuela about conditions and some cannot afford to buy arepas.

“Their family have to send doubles for them.”

He also said the Prime Minister had applied for a position on the UN Security Council, but this country “cannot hold (its) head up at the UN” because of it is one of 64 bad-pay countries which had not made its mandatory contribution to the UN regular budget and working capital fund this year. He said there had also been no contribution to the International Criminal Court, which was birthed by late former prime minister and president Arthur NR Robinson, and where former president Anthony Carmona was a judge.

“That is criminal.”

Charles criticised the Government’s policy of jailing more and more people while not helping them to have a second chance or providing for the psychological needs of their children.

He praised the budget contribution of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, saying her plan could take TT to first-world status and was so erudite he would share it with his colleagues at the UN. The Government announced the local government election date yesterday, he charged, to “steal her thunder.”