Las Cuevas woman tells Trump: Stop killing innocent people

EVEN as she clings to hope that her nephew is still alive, the aunt of Las Cuevas resident Chad Joseph, who was allegedly killed by a US missile strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat, is calling on US president Donald Trump to stop killing “innocent people” in Caribbean waters.

In an interview with local and international media following the nine-night memorial service at St Michael’s RC Church, Las Cuevas, on October 22, Lynette Burnley was asked what she would say to Trump if given the chance.

“I just want to tell him to stop it,” she said.

“It’s innocent people he killing, and is people family. Because he wouldn’t like that to happen to his family, I sure he wouldn’t like that to happen to his family, so he need to stop it. That’s all I have to tell him – stop it.”

She said the family considered the bombing of the vessel on October 14 an extra-judicial killing. Six people were reportedly killed in the strike, including Joseph and another Trinidadian known as Samaroo.

“It’s the first time we ever witnessed something like this. Now with what’s going on, the fishermen here are afraid to go out there, they’re afraid to go and fish in fact.” Burnley also addressed the Prime Minister’s remarks that all drug traffickers should be killed violently.

“It’s human beings, they’re not supposed to be killed so. Allyuh supposed to warn them, if allyuh saying is drugs they running and whatever, hold them and charge them for whatever. But this killing thing is not good, that wouldn’t work, people family, no way.”

Asked why she thought the authorities was treating the issue as a missing-persons matter, Burnley said, “How them know that? They could never prove that, because nobody ent coming forward and saying nothing, so how they know no Trinidadian ain’t die?”

The grief of the family and friends hung around the family house after the memorial service as heavily as the smoke from the bamboo being burst by a young boy in the community.

Burnley said she still hopes that the situation will turn out differently.

“Every day that goes by is more and more pain. But I still have hope, because I still can’t believe that my nephew gone. I still have doubts. But I still don’t believe that he blow up, I still believe he’s somewhere and someone could find him. That is my thing. If he’s still alive, he know is to come home. If that boat blow up he must get some kind of damage. I hope someone is seeing about him and he could come back home.”

Joseph’s grandmother Christine Clement said every day felt more and more sorrowful. She said she also hoped Joseph would turn up alive.

She said the family will not be making a missing person’s report as advised by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, because they have not been approached directly by the police. She said the accusations that Joseph was involved in drugs was lies.

“We know all that is a lie. He never get hold with no drugs the way they putting it over, that is a lie, and I could prove it. It is a big lie. He get hold with ammunition, that was some shots, but them putting a whole lot of drugs, it was never so, so let them get their facts straight.”

Burnley said Joseph travelled regularly between TT and Venezuela. “We have family and friends in Venezuela so he was always going down there, it’s not a now-come thing. He was working, helping some people he was staying by, cleaning up lands and thing, and seeing about a farm and thing.”

She said the family first heard about the death after people saw the video on social media and said the boat looked like the one he was travelling on.

Speaking during the memorial service, Father Kenneth Assing said while death is inevitable, the way Joseph had been taken was tragic and unexpected.

“Someone can die before their time. We can ask ourselves when is the time to die? We don’t know, but the time has come and it was tragic. It is hurting for the remaining family members, relatives, friends, because it was an unexpected surprise, which includes an unexpected death, and so we mourn his death today.

“This burden of tragic death is not easy. It is not light. It will be heavy in your hearts, in your mind, soul and spirit of everyone familiar with Chad. God has all of us in his hands and his grace and mercy are available to us all.”