Opposition Leader: Soldiers only being fed spaghetti

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has claimed soldiers are not being nourished properly at the various army bases across the country. Beckles said this is a matter of national security as she called for answers on the condition of soldiers.

She was speaking to the media at the Arima Public Library (Nalis) on September 17 during an International Literacy Day event for primary school students.

Beckles urged the government to pay attention to the situation of the troops amid heightened tensions between US and Venezuela which TT has become embroiled in.

“Pay attention to what is happening down there, in our base, where the men and women are not being fed," she said.

She said in some military bases "there is no rice, no meat," only spaghetti.

She said this is happening while the government insists that the army is ready.

She criticised Minister of Defence, Wayne Sturge, and Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander. She said they must explain if soldiers truly have the rations and equipment to which they are entitled.

“If my information is wrong, I would like you to make a clear statement,” she said.

Beckles warned about the regional impact of the aggressive US approach to combat drug trafficking in the southern Caribbean.

In the last two weeks, the US military has blown up three boats allegedly carrying illegal drugs. On September 2 the US killed 11 people in a pirogue allegedly transporting illegal drugs from Venezuela to Trinidad.

On September 15, US president Donald Trump said there have been less boats on the seas in the region recently and fishermen are wary of going out to sea.

Beckles recalled that the Caribbean has historically been a zone of peace and asked the government to clarify its position on the presence of United States vessels in the southern Caribbean.

“If three boats have been destroyed, what does that mean for our fishermen?”

She said the military operations without transparency have frightened fishermen and coastal communities such as Moruga, Mayaro, Las Cuevas, Maracas and Claxton Bay.

“They do not feel safe to go out to sea.”

She said TT must remain firm in respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations. She stressed that the country cannot isolate itself from Caricom and must act together with its Caribbean neighbours.

“We want a region free of drugs, but at the same time we must ensure the safety of our people and the defence of our coastal communities,” Beckles said.