Trinidad and Tobago's OAS rep: Probe ongoing into migrant baby's death

THIS country's representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Brigadier General (Ret'd) Anthony Phillips-Spencer, said on Wednesday that the authorities in TT are continuing investigations into the death of the one-year-old Venezuelan baby who was shot in the head while in his mother's arms in a boat they were in which was intercepted by the Coast Guard on February 5.

Phillips-Spencer made this point during a virtual regular session meeting on Venezuelan migration held by the OAS.

"The investigation into the unfortunate death of the Venezuelan baby is in progress," Phillips-Spencer said in response to a query from Gustavo Tarre, OAS representative for Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido.

Phillips-Spencer said: “Human trafficking, organised crime and the exploitation of Venezuelans are of extreme concern to TT.”

“We have worked to improve the condition of Venezuelan migrants, we have even held seminars with Migración Colombia to learn from their experience,” he said.

Phillips-Spencer said the Venezuelans in TT are protected by the laws.

Luis Almagro, OAS secretary general said that by the end of this year, Venezuelan migration could be the largest in the world.

Almagro recognised Colombia as the country that has made the greatest effort with respect to Venezuelan migration.

"We advocate the aid to the Venezuelan migratory exodus be expanded and these initiatives be repeated in the countries of the region," he said.

Marta Lucia Ramírez, Colombia's Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister said that from August 2021 there were 1.8 million Venezuelans in her country.

“Migration is not only a regularisation process. We are committed to an effective socio-economic integration of Venezuelan people in our country. Nearly 400,000 Venezuelan children and adolescents are studying. We invite the countries of the region to duplicate or refine our initiative,” she said.

On Tuesday, Guaido announced during a press conference in Caracas that he would formally denounce TT with international organisations.

"We are going to denounce TT for their repeated mistreatment of Venezuelan migrants, not just shooting them but denying them documentation, deporting them, blocking entry and generating shipwrecks," Guaido said.

He said the permanent mission of the Venezuelan Opposition to the OAS has done its due diligence directly with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on TT's treatment of Venezuelan migrants.