Analysts urge TT and Venezuela to mend ties through diplomacy: Be good neighbours

POLITICAL ANALYSTS and international relations experts say Venezuelan and TT governments need to come to the negotiating table to develop good diplomatic relations.

The analysts made statements in response to questions from Newsday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar drawing of the battle lines, warning that any illegal incursion into TT waters from Venezuela would be met with deadly force.

“We see Venezuela from Cedros. It is just seven miles away. So we are neighbours. It's always in the interest of countries to have good diplomatic relations,” said Dr Indira Rampersad, political analyst and international relations lecturer.

“TT and Venezuela literally share a border,” added political analyst Bishnu Ragoonath. “As neighbours we should try to mend whatever differences we have.

“Having said that, we know that one must not take advantage of the other. That is really where the policy shouldn’t really lie, in that we have to treat each other with respect and work with each other as far as we can.”

Kamla won’t be bullied

A tough-talking Persad-Bissessar took no prisoners on June 5 as she took a hard line against the Venezuelan government’s claims that a group of “terrorists” who allegedly entered Venezuela through TT were arrested by Venezuelan security services.

A news article also reported the country’s justice minister claiming that a TT national was among those arrested.

Persad-Bissessar, at a post-cabinet media briefing on June 5 said the TT government has no evidence to validate the accusation and had not seen any produced by the Venezuelan government.

Analysts commended the Prime Minister’s stance given recent conflicts between the Maduro government and Guyana, whose relationship is characterised by a long-standing territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, which recently fuelled tensions and diplomatic clashes between the two countries.

“I feel that is the context in which the Prime Minister is saying she will not be bullied,” Ragoonath said.

“Maduro has recognised that Persad-Bissessar is not amenable to his government. In the past she was supportive of Juan Guaido in that presidential face-off. There is a history where she has expressed dissatisfaction with him and she has not shown support for him.

“On the other hand Maduro is an unpopular leader who is attempting to be popular. He tried to flex his muscle in trying to get Essequibo from Guyana just before the election and he is doing it again now.”

She also lauded Persad-Bissessar’s emotional strength as she takes the hard stance against Maduro.

“This is a petite lady in her 70s that is also flexing her invisible muscles,” she said. “You can’t see her muscles but she has come out very strong since her campaign and post-election as a much stronger leader. This is emotional strength, not so much physical strength. She is a much stronger leader than she was in 2010-2015. We are dealing with a no-nonsense Prime Minister who is not willing to tolerate any mistreatment domestically or in the regional or international arena.”

Can we protect our borders?

Despite Persad-Bissessar’s no-nonsense position, questions around TT’s ability to protect its borders still arise.

“Whether we have that capacity to defend our borders, that's a whole different issue altogether. We now have to deal with that literally, how are we going to at least defend our borders if we have to,” Ragoonath said.

Rampersad warned that the support of countries such as China and Russia are also fuelling Maduro’s confidence.

“Maduro is on a rampage,” she said. “He is on a frolic of his own. He believes that he has the support of some big powers.

“Venezuela is also powerful in the international arena in as much as it has around the fifth largest reserve of oil in the world.”