A case of too little, too late

THE EDITOR: The refrain “too little, too late” seems very apt for the debacle in which Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her administration have found themselves.

Recent utterances that the government is not involved in the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering Venezuela ring hollow. The facts will show that the Persad-Bissessar-led government has pursued a series of actions since September that have contributed to the escalation of US military action against Venezuela.

Moreover, the government, through its active support and facilitation of US attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, is complicit in the extrajudicial killings of nearly 100 people. These killings have been condemned by the international community, and our government officials may well find themselves before the International Criminal Court to answer for these crimes.

In addition, our domestic and foreign policy appear to be dictated by the US despite statements by the Prime Minister that her government is pursuing a TT-first policy. By giving approval for the US to use our airspace and the country to facilitate its logistical operations, the government has broken decades of tradition of TT being a non-aligned country in global conflicts.

The government has effectively ceded sovereignty to the US, making TT a US base again. Further, allowing the US to set up a radar system in Tobago with the ability to track and attack incoming missiles has transformed our country from being a neutral state into an active facilitator, if not participant, in the aggression against Venezuela. This has made TT a legitimate target in a US war against Venezuela.

Therefore, Persad-Bissessar’s assertion that the US has “asked for no assistance about blockading in Venezuela” is facetious, duplicitous and gives no comfort to the citizens of TT. It is too little, too late. The facts speak for themselves. Our sovereignty has been bartered and sold. We are already in crisis as the safety of every citizen in TT and the economic foundation of the country have been compromised. Not only are we facing a return to colonialism, but we may well be pulled into a war.

Every citizen needs to take a stand against these developments and demand that the government takes action to restore TT as an independent nation and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.

CECILA MELVILLE

via e-mail