Deeply troubled waters

THE SHOOTING death of a Venezuelan baby on Saturday night shines an appalling light on operational standards in the TT Coast Guard as well as on this country’s record when it comes to the treatment of illegal immigrants.

It goes without saying that a thorough and independent investigation must take place. However, such a probe may not be enough. The damage has already been done.

Before Saturday, this country’s reputation when it came to the treatment of children and women immigrants was already severely compromised. Our authorities have had little qualms in separating families and dealing with cases extra-judicially, often conducting deportations in defiance of court proceedings and via dangerous routes at sea.

Officials have often been aware of, or indeed sanctioned, many such operations, with humanitarian concerns frequently trumped by base immigration rhetoric. This situation has created a feeling that there is a sense of deliberate defiance to the rule of law and international norms.

In relation to Saturday’s incident, the Coast Guard claims the intercepted vessel attempted to evade capture. At the same time, it claims the same vessel tried to ram the Coast Guard vessel. Warning shots were fired. Shots were aimed at the engine. Bullets struck a nine-month-old baby and his mother. The baby is now dead and the mother in a hospital bed.

It was not known if there were illegal immigrants on board.

All of these claims will inevitably raise red flags.

The public is by now very familiar with stories of officers claiming to have come under fire before firing their own shots. Such claims are often contradicted by eyewitnesses or members of a community who attest to abuse of power.

One report has already stated the vessel on Saturday was simply attempting to turn around. What is clear is that it was not unreasonable to assume such a vessel had people in it.

Even if we take the Coast Guard's claim of acting in self-defence as the plain truth, there are still very serious questions about whether this use of force was proportionate. An investigation is needed which takes into account the claims not only of the Coast Guard but also those on board the vessel at the time.

Ironically, the diplomatic fallout from the incident has managed to do the seemingly impossible: unite Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his rival Juan Guaido in their opprobrium.

The Prime Minister’s attempt to placate Venezuelan authorities on Sunday by speaking with Mr Maduro’s Vice President (and wife) Delcy Rodríguez clearly did not prevent Mr Maduro from publicly calling out TT a day later.

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul, the late, great Nelson Mandela once said, than the way it treats its children.

Saturday’s death, following well-publicised acts of violence against children as well as so many young people going missing in TT, is yet another sign that something is terribly wrong in our country. Even the Venezuelans are discovering this.