TT and Venezuela musttackle high seas piracy

THE EDITOR: It is highly untenable that the Government should allow the kidnappings and piracy on the high seas to go unabated.

For too long we have ben hearing of the piracy on the high seas with fishermen and sailors losing engines, boats, their catch or money and even their lives.

It is either the authorities concerned, especially the Ministry of National Security and indeed the Prime Minister, are turning a blind eye to the fiasco or are incapable of doing something about it.

It is no secret that there is “a gang of river pirates with connections to criminal gang leaders operating from Erin” and “Cano Manamo River in Venezuela, a distributary of the Orinoco River which branches northwards from the main channel of the Orinoco Delta, is an area that is dominated by river pirates who smuggle and kidnap in exchange for basic necessities” (Guardian).

Having known all of this it is difficult to comprehend that the TT authorities have failed to do anything at any point in time. There have been several other such incidents over the past years involving uses of the sea from Moruga, Mayaro and Orange Valley. Too many lives have ben lost and too many families are still grieving over non-closure of tragedies.

Imagine families and villagers have to scramble to raise ransom money to save the lives of their loved ones and the PM tells us that taxpayers have to foot “his bill” if the Law Association takes him to court. What injustice.

It is also very unacceptable that whenever something happens to our citizens out at sea the group Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, the councillor for Cedros and even family and friends of the victims have to call on the “authorities” to do something about it.

The PM has boasted about his relationship with the Venezuelan authorities. It’s time to cash in on that. There needs to be some level of government to government discussion on this matter whereby a Memorandum of Understanding or some sought of agreement is signed and border control is discussed.

If US citizens were threatened or robbed on the high seas would that be allowed to continue for such a long time? Let alone the loss of human life? Does any other country allow its citizens to be kidnapped, locked up and tortured, held for ransom and even killed by others without even a murmur from the authorities?

WKS HOSEIN

Chaguanas