THE United National Congress (UNC) celebrated 16 years of leadership by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in a January 25 press release. It was issued on a parliamentary letterhead from the Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services Vandana Mohit.
The release said the party, originally formed by the late Basdeo Panday, marked 16 years of the Persad-Bissessar leadership.
It said her vision, courage and empathy as a leader reshaped TT’s political landscape.
The release added, “Sixteen years ago, history was made when a woman of quiet strength and unyielding resolve assumed the mantle of leadership of the UNC. Since that moment, Persad-Bissessar has proven that leadership is not about volume, vanity or bravado, but about service, principle and an unwavering commitment to people.”
It said her journey was defined not only by political milestones but by a deep understanding of the lived realities of ordinary citizens, workers, mothers, the elderly, vulnerable people and the forgotten.
It described her leadership style as visionary yet grounded, decisive yet compassionate.
“She has consistently demonstrated that strength and empathy are not opposites, but partners. Whether championing social protection, expanding access to education, defending democratic institutions or insisting that governance must always be people-centred, her approach has been rooted in dignity, fairness and inclusion,” it said.
The release also spoke to the gender aspect of Persad-Bissessar’s leadership, saying as a woman in politics, she had to navigate challenges uniquely sharpened by gender, faced harsher scrutiny and contradictory expectations while also facing standards that were unfairly elevated.
“Yet she has never allowed these realities to harden her heart or silence her voice. Instead, she has transformed adversity into purpose, proving that women’s leadership brings not weakness, but wisdom, not fragility, but fortitude,” it said.
Mohit said as a female parliamentarian, she was deeply conscious of the path carved by Persad-Bissessar.
“Her leadership has created space for women to lead authentically, to be firm without apology, compassionate without compromise, and ambitious without surrendering empathy.
“She has shown that a woman can lead a nation with both steel in her spine and kindness in her soul,” the release said.
It added that Persad-Bissessar’s soft power, belief in consultation, respect for institutions, insistence on social justice and her refusal to abandon the vulnerable, was one of her greatest strengths.
“These values have shaped the UNC’s philosophy and continue to guide this Government’s approach to governance, action grounded in care, policy informed by people, and leadership measured by impact, not rhetoric,” it said.
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is warning regional corporations they will not receive any additional state funding, and will only receive more in the next budget if service delivery is improved over the next eight months.
She insists the $2.1 billion currently allocated to local government is “more than enough.”
In a Facebook post on January 24, Persad-Bissessar said government would not provide “a cent more” to regional corporations unless taxpayers begin seeing tangible results, particularly in sanitation and basic infrastructure.
She said for fiscal 2026, the seven PNM corporations will receive a combined $987.29 million, which was $181.83 million more than the $805.46 million allocated to the seven UNC-led corporations.
Persad-Bissessar said despite the size of the workforce of 13,406 people and funding, citizens continue to experience poor sanitation and inadequate infrastructure maintenance.
“Taxpayers are paying 13,406 persons in local government 2.1 billion dollars, however after 9 am you would be lucky to see the majority of them out working. That’s because signing the attendance book and returning home by 9 am has become entrenched policy across ALL corporations.
“Scraping up small mounds of rubbish and sand for two hours to then leave on the sides of the roads to wash into the drains when rain falls is not a good use of taxpayers’ funds.
“My government is not going to continue pumping billions yearly into these corporations while citizens continue suffering for basic sanitation and infrastructure services.”
She compared their performance with teachers, health-care workers, protective services personnel and private-sector employees, who completed full eight-hour workdays.
She warned that if service delivery does not improve, government will start outsourcing and mechanise many of the tasks currently performed by regional corporations.
She also said government had already taken steps to stop wasteful spending, like cutting what she described as “Cepep and URP ghost gangs,” natural gas subsidies, and overpriced goods and services contracts.
“Decent law-abiding citizens must get value for their taxes they pay from their hard-earned salaries.
“The future of the regional corporations will be determined solely by the choices the 13,406 employees make in the next eight months. Step up or step aside, citizens deserve much better from local government corporations.”
LONE survivor of the 2022 Paria diving tragedy, Christopher Boodram, has described receiving a $1 million ex gratia payment from government as a “breath of fresh air.”
Speaking on the TT Today programme, on state-owned television station TTT, on January 23, Boodram said he has been unable to work since surviving the horrific accident which claimed the lives of fellow divers Faizal Kurban, Yusuff Henry, Rishi Nagessar and Kazim Ali Jr.
“I am unable to apply my skill and trade and for that period of time, financially, things were tough ‘cause everything just rest on my wife’s hands – bills, loans and everything else were in her hands and it was difficult. So this was really, really a breath of fresh air.”
The divers were performing maintenance on a 30-inch underwater pipeline at Berth 6, Pointe-a-Pierre, on February 25, 2022, when they were suddenly sucked into the line by a powerful differential pressure event, known as Delta P.
Boodram was the only one to escape.
He said that since the incident, he has gotten closer to the families of his colleagues who perished. He said the ex gratia payments would also help them pay their bills and their debts since losing their breadwinners.
“I’m really grateful and thankful for our Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her cabinet for making this decision and I’m sure my colleagues and brothers’ wives are feeling the same way too and we thankful.”
He commended his wife’s strength in the aftermath of the incident, as, in addition to financially supporting the family, she also had to help him through his trauma.
Asked by host Virmala Balkaran whether he held any bitterness toward the previous government administration for not compensating the families, Boodram said: “I wouldn’t say bitterness, but at the end of the day, the previous administration treated us like dogs. They didn’t try to help us, or assist us.”
“The former prime minister, well former former prime minister (Dr Keith Rowley), agreed to only meet us after being pressured by the media and public and when he did meet us, it was a written script.
“He barely allowed us to express ourselves. In that meeting, I had to interject myself more than once to get a point across to him and he already had his outcome set. Even after, when the former prime minister (Stuart Young) was appointed, he used our case as an election gimmick.
“You telling me weeks before the election, you know for sure that an ex gratia payment wouldn’t be able to be fully completed…you dangle that in front of us to show the nation that you doing something and you playing with our emotions and livelihood.”
Upon hearing Young’s April 3 announcement of the payment, Boodram said he was simultaneously ecstatic and angered. Happy for the money, but mad that he found out over the media. He said the current administration contacted him on January 21 to inform them about the payment before it was announced to the public.
In a CNC3 interview outside the Red House on January 23, Young said he was happy the families received the ex gratia payment but said it was “nothing new” as it was the carrying out what his cabinet decided last year.
“I’d also expressed to our population via a post-cabinet conference the difficulties that we faced as a government in trying to go through the legal means of getting it done and the frustration, in particular, as minister of energy and then as the prime minister, to make sure the families got something whilst their matters were still proceeding through the court system…if that is the way it had to proceed,” Young said.
He added: “I think the population would see and they could make their own judgements as to the type of politics that were played out, but I am happy that those two families got the money that cabinet had decided in April 2025 they should get as ex gratia payments.”
On January 22, the Prime Minister presented the payments to Boodram and the families of Nagessar and Kurban at the Diplomatic Centre. A release on the same day said the other families would also be paid soon.
Survivor of the Paria diving tragedy Christopher Boodram and the families of Rishi Nagessar and Fyzal Kurban received an ex-gratia payment of $1 million from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on January 22 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.
In a release on the same day, the Office of the Prime Minister said the Prime Minister said that for far too long, the suffering and struggles of the survivor and bereaved families were ignored by the previous administration, which chose instead to expend public funds on legal fees rather than providing direct assistance and compassion to those left behind.
“She made it clear that what these men endured should never have occurred, and reaffirmed her government’s commitment to accountability, humanity, and the principle that no citizen will ever be left behind.”
The release said the ex-gratia payments began on January 22 with the first three families and will continue progressively to the remaining families in the period ahead.
Boodram and four other divers — Kazim Ali Jr, Yusuf Henry, Rishi Nagassar, and Fyzal Kurban — were performing maintenance on a 30-inch underwater pipeline at Berth 6, Pointe-a-Pierre, on February 25, 2022, when they were suddenly sucked into the line by a powerful differential pressure event, known as Delta P.
Boodram was the only one to escape after spending nearly four hours trapped in the dark, oil-filled pipeline.
The report of the Commission of Enquiry into the tragedy, laid in the House of Representatives on January 19, 2024, said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should consider charging the Paria Fuel Trading Company with corporate manslaughter. The report said there was evidence to prosecute Paria manager Colin Piper and LMCS head Kazim Ali Snr (whose son died in the tragedy) and their firms for offences under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
On April 3, 2025, prime minister Stuart Young, speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing, said the delay in payments to the families was because the insurers for LMCS and Paria could not agree which company was liable. He said the government would pay $1 million to the lone survivor, and $1 million each, to the families of the four men who died.
On May 8, 2025, Persad-Bissessar said the payment might have to be settled through a judicial settlement, due to a possible conflict of interest.
INDEPENDENT Senator Michael Simon de la Bastide, SC, has urged government to use persuasive language instead of insults to rally support for the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations-ZOSOs) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026.
Debate on the bill began in the Senate on January 20 and continued on January 21. The Senate will resume the debate on January 23 at 1.30 pm. The House of Representatives passed the bill on January 16.
The bill allows Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as chair of the National Security Council, in consultation with the Commissioner of Police (CoP) and the TT Defence Force Chief of Staff, to declare certain areas in the country as ZOSOs for a maximum of 180 days.
During debate on the bill in the Senate, De la Bastide and Anthony Vieira, SC, each expressed a willingness to support the legislation. But they also lamented criticisms levelled against independent senators with respect to whether or not they will support the bill which requires a three-fifth’s majority for passage.
In the Senate, this equates to 19 votes. Government has 15 senators while the Opposition has six and the Independents have nine.
De la Bastide said he could understand why government may not want to consult with the opposition in such matters because it believes it will not get its support.
He added, “But you do have the independent senators and I think it is definitely worth the effort and it is independent senators that you are trying to encourage to support the bill.”
De la Bastide said, “Well speak to us before the debate, using whatever parliamentary procedures that you can and let us thrash out maybe amendments…compromises.”
Independent senators, he continued, find themselves in a situation where insults are being hurled at them.
After repeating independent senators are open dialogue on legislative matters, de la Bastide said, “Don’t assume that we are PNM.”
Looking across the aisle at government senators, he added there are people in this group who know independent senators are not PNM puppets.
“They know that, and even if you think that…have a discussion with us before. Hear how we respond. See if we change our mind about that. There’s no need for these insults and denigrating people.”
De la Bastide said while he is not fazed by this, “it is a chilling effect on other people.”
He cautioned this could lead to a reluctance by people to wish to serve as independent senators, who are appointed solely by the President, in the future.
“They will look at what has happened now and and a lot of good people will say, I am not up for that kind of pressure.”
De la Bastide cautioned against certain parts of TT which are believed to be hotspots, and the people who live in them, being stigmatised, if these places are designated as ZOSOs.
“I don’t live in a hotspot.” He argued some of the people advocating for ZOSOs, do not live in such places.
“You have to look at the reality of who are the people who are on the receiving end of these powers.
De la Bastide accepted the argument that a new approach was needed to curb crime in TT. While supporting the intent of the bill, De la Bastide argued this should only be a temporary tool until such time the proper law enforcement and social initiatives are in place to address the root causes of crime.
Referring to Attorney General John Jeremie’s track record as a lawyer, de la Bastide said he did not believe Jeremie would see contributions raised by independent senators as “vapid” or “shallow” and address them in a thoughtful manner.
De la Bastide hinted at the possibility of a political party other than the UNC or PNM forming the government in the future.
He cautioned against creating a situation to give future governments a power over the population which could be authoritarian.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
In his contribution, Vieira observed previous governments have failed to curb crime through traditional measures. He told senators, the public expects Parliament to respond to these matters honestly. “It would be disingenuous to pretend that what we have been doing is sufficient. Vieira approached the bill with an open and cautious mind.
He said this did not mean an abandonment of principles as some may argue.
“It is an acknowledgement that entrenched root problems sometimes require carefully calibrated innovation.”
Vieira said this issue is not one of security versus human rights “but to ensure that any enhanced security measures, remain consistent with constitutional values and the rule of law
He added the bill “is not a state of emergency (SoE) in disguise…it is an attempt to surgically address areas of entrenched criminality while preserving as far as possible, ordinary criminal procedure and judicial supervision.”
Vieira was satisfied the legislation contained sufficient safeguards to prevent potential abuse. He said zones were geographically identified and determined with respect to information provided by law enforcement.
“There is no racial or political classification.”
But Vieira cautioned against this becoming a perception. He told senators safeguards are only effective depending on the way in which they are enforced. Vieira also cautioned against the potential blurring of institutional lines, if the military involvement in civilian law enforcement becomes normalised
Vieira said in a constitutional democracy, Parliament does not exist as a forum to applaud.
“Independent senators were not appointed to be predictable. They were not appointed to be loyal and they certainly were not appointed to be silent. Our role is to ask the uncomfortable questions.”
Vieira said this role is particular important when laws expand certain powers and raise questions over the use of such powers.
“If that makes our contributions vapid, then I plead guilty.” Vieira said vapidity in this context meant independent thought.
He assured the population, “this independent bench will continue to do the dangerous work of thinking carefully, speaking plainly and voting deliberately.”
Vieira said this will happen even when it is unfashionable and even when “it is described as shallow.”
On January 20, Persad-Bissessar said she would not be surprised if independent senators did not support the bill. She repeated previous questions she raised as opposition leader over the independence of these senators, who under the Constitution are selected by the President.
FORMER prime minister Dr Keith Rowley has disagreed with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar about the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations-ZOSOs) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026.
He also criticised Persad-Bissessar and her administration for their approach to advancing the legislation.
Debate on the bill began in the Senate on January 20 and continued on January 21. The Senate will resume the debate on January 23 at 1.30 pm. The House of Representatives passed the bill on January 16.
The bill allows Persad-Bissessar as chair of the National Security Council, in consultation with the Commissioner of Police (CoP) and the TT Defence Force Chief of Staff, to declare certain areas in the country as ZOSOs for a maximum of 180 days.
The bill requires a three-fifth’s majority for passage. In the Senate, this equates to 19 votes. Government has 15 senators while the Opposition has six and the Independents have nine.
In a Facebook post on January 22, Rowley noted Persad-Bissessar’s criticism of independent senators, claiming they will not support the bill because of alleged ties to the PNM.
He said, “If I had said anything nearly as offensive and arrogant as as what Kamla recently said, everyone in this country would would have known not to accept that from the Prime Minister.”
Rowley added, ” I am proud of that fact. It confirms to me that I was held to a higher standard and I am satisfied that I met those standards.”
He said, “These arguments to justify their dangerous legislation to be promulgated in this uneasy multi-racial, multi-ethnic society is not an appropriate crime-fighting tool.”
Rowley added, “To stigmatise communities and removal of the entrenched rights of the law abiding at the behest of officers without parliamentary oversight is not what one expects from a government that is prepared to do its job of going at the lawbreakers without trampling on those who are law abiding.”
He said, “Given the divisive politics and the suspicious nature of so many, it may very well turn out that the justification of ‘fighting crime’ might not be enough to manage the fallout when the law is applied.”
Rowley cautioned, “The unsupervised authority will breed abuse and resentment and all that flows.”
THE Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) is backing proposed amendments to the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act (RSBA).
In a news release on January 20, the union said it welcomed the government’s commitment to implementing and advancing the workers’ agenda.
Speaking at a press conference on January 11, Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development Minister Leroy Baptiste announced the upcoming amendments which he said “seek to widen the safety net for retrenched workers.”
He said revisions to the current Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act 32 1985 will expand who can access severance benefits, and considerations are being made to widen payout margins.
Currently, workers employed for less than one year or up to three years are entitled to two weeks’ pay per year of service, while employees of more than five years are entitled to three.
Baptiste said the government is contemplating a revision of three weeks’ pay per year, for employees of one to five years, and a month’s pay for employees of five years and over.
He said the definition of redundancy, which currently only includes a surplus of labour, will also be widened to close the legislative loophole taken advantage of by some unscrupulous employers.
“An employer can easily avoid obligations to workers by declaring insolvency, if operations are discontinued or if a company is shut down.
“These activities would have rendered the workers without any recourse under the act. That definition will be changed to include insolvency, receivership and a number of other reasons why you might have some discontinuation of operations,” Baptiste said.
Notwithstanding the discontinuation, the worker will in fact have the right to severance benefits under the act, he added.
The OWTU said it and other unions had been working on this agenda three years prior to these amendments.
Adding that it worked with the then-opposition, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to develop an agenda that is designed and aimed at addressing urgent issues plaguing workers in particular, issues related to the act.
The release said, “Central to these amendments is the widening of the definition of ‘redundancy’ to include circumstances arising from insolvency and receivership, and the replacement of the misused ‘surplus labour’ concept with a more appropriate, comprehensive definition of redundancy.”
These changes, the OWTU said, are essential in protecting workers who lose their employment through no fault of their own, particularly in cases where companies close, collapse, or are placed under receivership.
“Of significant importance is the government’s proposal to prioritise compensation to workers. For decades, under the Companies Act, workers, as demonstrated in the case of ArcelorMittal, have been relegated to the bottom of the list of beneficiaries, often receiving little or nothing. At the same time, creditors and other claimants are paid first. The proposed amendments aim to rectify this long-standing injustice by ensuring that workers are prioritised in the receipt of severance and other entitlements.
“Additionally, the OWTU believes the government’s proposal to establish a Guarantee Institution or Severance Benefits Fund, aligned with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 173 on the Protection of Workers’ Claims (Employers’ Insolvency), 1992, is a progressive and necessary reform aimed at ensuring workers are paid what is lawfully owed to them.“
The union said it also strongly supports the proposed amendments to retrenchment procedures “which seek to address long-standing abuse by employers.”
“Under these amendments, employers will no longer be allowed to act unilaterally against workers without repercussion, as they will now be mandated to consult all affected workers through formal notices, regardless of number, and to formally notify the Recognised Majority Union (RMU) in all cases, under section 5 of the Act. The amendment of section 7 to explicitly permit payment in lieu of notice, in keeping with regional best practice, is viewed by the OWTU as a major win for workers, as the current legislation often leaves workers with nothing at the closure of a company.”
The OWTU said it welcomes the alignment of retrenchment procedures within the Act through amendments addressing temporary lay-offs which include defining “temporary lay-off” based on judicial criteria, introducing clear procedures for lay-offs, and providing workers with an entitlement to severance after 90 days of lay-off, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
“The introduction of provisions for the priority rehiring of laid-off or retrenched workers is also a positive development. Consistent with ILO Recommendation No. 166, these provisions allow workers to express interest in re-engagement within a specified timeframe and provide a measure of job security and continuity for affected employees.
”Finally, the OWTU agrees that the current severance formula is outdated and no longer reflects modern wage levels, regional benchmarks, or industry standards and views these proposed amendments as a decisive step in the right direction for all working people in TT,” the release said.
The union said it remains committed to advocating for strong labour protections and will continue to engage constructively to ensure that these reforms are fully implemented in the best interests of workers across TT.
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Minister Dominic Smith share the concerns of Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon about the need to protect children from the dangers of social media.
Persad-Bissessar said government may be willing to consider a social media ban for children under 12 years old.
Smith said the challenge when it comes to social media or technology in general, is how to govern it responsibly.
In a WhatsApp comment on January 19, Persad-Bissessar acknowledged Gordon’s concerns but did not think a social media ban on adults is a viable proposition.
“His concerns are valid but any ban on adults would be an encroachment on free speech in my opinion.”
Asked if this meant government would not impose a social media ban on adults, Persad-Bissessar replied, “None.”
Persad-Bissessar was asked if government would consider bringing legislation to Parliament soon to regulate social media.
She said, “Only for children under 12, I may consider legislation. Teenagers and adults I have no issue with.”
Outside of the concerns about social media which Gordon raised, Persad-Bissessar was asked if she believed there is a need to regulate social media in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly with respect to the mischief promoted online by bloggers from any political party against innocent people.
She said, “There may be need to regulate it to protect private citizens from abuse and bullying but for people in public life like myself there is no need for any protections.”
In a separate WhatsApp comment, Smith said, “I respect the Archbishop’s concern, which is rooted in a genuine desire to protect our society particularly our children and young people from potential harm.”
He added, “this is something which government is consistent with in terms of steps to safeguard society and Persad-Bissessar is leading the charge in this regard.”
Smith said, “Social media is now embedded in how people communicate, learn, do business, organise communities, and participate in democratic life. The challenge before us is not to eliminate technology, but to govern it responsibly.”
Smith supports “a balanced approach: stronger safeguards for children, clearer accountability for platforms, digital literacy for parents and young people, and the promotion of positive, ethical online behaviour.”
He said,”These tools can be powerful forces for good when used responsibly, and harmful when left unchecked.”
The ministry, Smith continued, has already spearheaded committees to deal with issues on deep fake and online scams through technology use and specifically AI use.
“Perhaps we can look at the above as well as (Gordon’s concerns about social media).”
Smith said, “Our responsibility at the ministry level is to strike that balance, protecting citizens from abuse, misinformation and exploitation, while preserving freedom of expression, innovation and access to information. We will continue to engage faith leaders, educators, parents, and technology experts to ensure our efforts reflect both our values and the realities of the modern world.”
Children enjoying a Christmas party hosted by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at her constituency office in Siparia on December 19, 2025. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle
Gordon said even the owners of online platforms have acknowledged that social media was set up in a way as to make addicts out of users.
He called on the government to consider recent laws passed and implemented in Australia which bans access to social media to children under the age of 16.
“I will propose that social media is far more addictive than alcohol. In testimony in (the US) Congress, the giants and the leaders of tech said, ‘we create the algorithms specifically to create long-lasting media exposure and engagement and to bring the person back the next time, and the next time, and the next time.’
“They created it to be addictive. And I think following Australia – and many countries are looking at that now – we should be looking at a law to protect our children from social media, the same way we are protecting them from alcohol,” Gordon said.
Australian citizens under the age of 16 have been banned from using ten major social media services including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch – all of which are easily and legally accessible in TT by anyone with access to a digital device and data. Australian children cannot set up new accounts while their existing profiles have been deactivated. The ban is the first of its kind and is being monitored by several other countries.
Gordon’s comments came two days after Persad-Bissessar made known her government’s intention to raise the legal age for alcohol and cannabis consumption to 21 and the legal gambling age to 25.
Delivering a statement during a sitting of the House of Representatives on January 16, Persad-Bissessar said this was being done while also laying the groundwork for a regulated medicinal cannabis industry in TT.
Persad-Bissessar said government is seeking to amend seven pieces of legislation during this parliamentary session aimed at increasing age limits for certain activities.
“For the sale, purchase, possession or consumption of intoxicating liquor or tobacco (we propose) to change that age from 18 to 21. For the sale, purchase, possession or consumption of cannabis from 18 to 21, and in respect of gambling, from 21 to 25.”
Persad-Bissessar said the proposed change to the age limit was part of a larger effort to protect young people from early addiction.
At his briefing on January 19, Gordon thanked the government for recent initiatives aimed at reintroducing discipline into society.
“I want to commend the government of TT under the leadership of our prime minister, who have done a few things recently, which have piqued my interest.”
Gordon said the recent implementation of discipline around driving – by way of increased fines – has been viewed by many as a harassment or merely as a money-making avenue.
“I see this as a very important lever for nation building. We have become an indisciplined society. And pushing that lever, has forced all of us to come to discipline in a very different way.”
On the proposal to increase the age limit on alcohol and gambling, as announced by Persad-Bissessar, Gordon said, “The second thing that they (government) did recently was introduce an age limit for gambling and alcohol, and saying that children under 21 cannot do alcohol and gambling legally.
“And then putting a tax on alcohol for any adult who wants…we not stopping you, but you will pay a premium price if you want to use alcohol, because of its addictive nature.”
SEVENTEEN years since the Manning administration agreed to a bailout of the tottering CL Financial empire, no one has been held accountable.
Throughout those years, taxpayers have borne a $28 billion burden, made heavier by staggering legal fees – $3 billion to $4 billion – in cases before the civil courts. It’s time to count our losses and end civil suits that the government, once more under the prime ministership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is not willing to spend more resources on.
This is the scenario the Attorney General presented to Parliament on January 16, as he laid the Sir Anthony Colman Commission of Enquiry report.
He promised to be “cost-effective” in his approach to withdraw from civil cases that are still to be adjudicated on: a Central Bank lawsuit against CL Financial was due to be heard on January 19.
John Jeremie, SC, also did not hold out hope for any criminal charges, noting such action is the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“This is a joke of an investigation,” the AG said, referring to inadequate policing resources to probe a major financial case.
This is the crux of the problem. TT lacks the accounting forensic capabilities to successfully criminally prosecute financial cases on the scale of CL Financial. Not only at the police level, but also accounting firms.
The Colman report was not made public by the Rowley administration, essentially owing to the risk of defaming key players, and jeopardising criminal prosecution.
TT is not unique in this challenge: Internationally, most cases are settled by civil suits for the same reasons: the complexity of investigating the financial operations and proving criminal intent.
The Enron (2001) and Bernie Madoff Securities (2008) cases in the US are among the exceptions. Executives were charged and found guilty of fraud. In most of the instances, the SEC fined executives and companies millions in US dollars.
But even civil cases in TT take a long time, as argued by the AG. In a struggling economy, it is perhaps the best, if not prudent, option to end civil cases. The DPP is yet to say if he would do the same.
One thing that should not be lost is the systemic failing of our financial system to the public which the Colman report has revealed. While much focus has been on CL Financial/Clico, the fall of the Hindu Credit Union also holds lessons.
Forensic training should be included not just for police, but more accountants, lawyers and other arms of the state, if the public is to be protected from losing their life savings entrusted to financial institutions.
THE EDITOR: Farley Augustine’s victory in Tobago is significant in some ways. Firstly, it shows that Tobagonians approve of what Augustine is doing and, critically, it seems a vote against the People’s National Movement (PNM), similarly trounced in a previous election, with this resounding victory suggesting that the PNM is on the way out.
But more significantly, this victory of the Tobago People’s Party seems an endorsement of Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the United National Congress, for there is much to suggest that Augustine was in alliance with Persad-Bissessar, testimony to which is the increased budgetary allocation in the last budget and the overtures about Tobago autonomy. And the much vented criticism of the Persad-Bissessar/US alliance, radar and all, did not seem to have much impact on the Tobago vote, if even one may argue that such vote was more anti-PNM rather than pro-Persad-Bissessar.
UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar – Photo by Faith Ayoung
Perhaps it is worthwhile to speculate that although Persad-Bissessar has been criticised for many of her initiatives, singularly her alliance with the US, and, of course, her cost-cutting measures and the rigid application of traffic laws did not make much of a difference to Tobagonians at the polls.
What is apparent from this Tobago election is that beneath all the “sound and fury” associated with the old way of thinking, there is a large body of opinion that supports the new thinking in more ways than one.
ATTORNEY GENERAL John Jeremie said US Navy strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking out of Venezuela were consistent with international law, based on advice he received from an international legal expert outside his office.
Speaking with reporters on January 14, at the UNC headquarters in Chaguanas, Jeremie said he sought external legal advice from an international expert outside the Office of the Attorney General before arriving at his conclusion.
“My first look at it, and the advice I took, is the strikes were consistent with international law,” he said. “That was the advice given to me by an international expert.”
Jeremie declined to identify the expert or to discuss the substance of the advice, saying he could not do so without going into its “meat and bones”.
Pressed by reporters on whether two Trinidad and Tobago nationals were killed in the strikes, Jeremie said he had no information to support that claim.
“Even now, I do not know that any TT citizen was killed in any strike,” he said.
Asked whether those actions complied with international law, particularly in relation to due process or whether the absence of due process could be reconciled with international legal standards, Jeremie declined to elaborate, saying he could not answer without disclosing privileged legal advice.
“I’ve done my job, which is to ensure the republic acts in accordance with the law.”
Jeremie added he had conveyed his advice to the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar but would offer no further comment.
Questions were also raised if US military assets were deployed from TT to facilitate the boat strikes or the reported capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
Jeremie also had no comments.
Whilst acknowledging US military personnel had been present in TT, Jeremie insisted their presence was not a secret and was unrelated to the strikes.
“We had marines visiting schools and conducting training exercises, intense training exercises, on their own and with our Defence Force,” he said.
He said statements issued on the day of the strikes by the Ministry of Homeland Security and the Ministry of Defence made it clear that TT had no involvement in those operations.
POLITICAL analyst Derek Ramsamooj says the Tobago People’s Party’s (TPP) resounding 15-0 victory in the January 12 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election has provided its political leader and THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine a strong hand to demand greater autonomy for the island and advance its interests.
Ramsamooj said the THA elections result make for an interesting political dynamic between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Augustine. He also said the results have diminished the PNM’s political stocks nationally and its leadership must do some serious introspection with respect to charting the way forward for the party.
Ramsamooj said the result has placed Augustine “in the strongest position within recent times of having a clear mandate to develop Tobago’s agenda.”
This agenda, he continued, will not only deal with infrastructure or internal governance.
Ramsamooj said this agenda “will present an unchallenged opportunity to strengthen Tobago’s definition of greater autonomy.”
He added the TPP victory gives Augustine “great negotiating capacity in dealing with the central government of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Ramsamooj said, “Historically, this is the strongest Tobago has ever been in recent history.”
The TPP now controls the entire assembly and the Tobago West and Tobago East seats in the House of Representatives.
Asked how the THA elections result could change the political dynamics between Persad-Bissessar and Augustine, Ramsamooj said, “There is going to be great scope for political co-operation between the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led Trinidad administration and the Farley-led THA administration.”
He added, “Time will tell whether Chief Secretary Farley (Augustine) will want to negotiate for a greater piece of the national budget, perhaps by a percentage or two, over the next four years.”
No official political coalition exists between the UNC and TPP although the latter’s two MPs sit alongside UNC backbenchers in a section of the House of Representatives which is traditionally reserved only for government MPs.
On the PNM which lost the lone Darrel Spring/Whim seat in the THA, which it won in the December 2021 election, Ramsamooj said, “The PNM has now devolved into being a minority political party.”
He recalled over the last year, the PNM has lost its national political appeal.
“We see a further decline of this national appeal as a political party under the present leadership of the PNM.”
Ramsamooj said, “The PNM must revisit its political strategy if it is to have any possibility of being the political alternative and the political leader Pennelope Beckles needs to revisit her leadership style.”
He added, “What is clearly evident is the decline of not only the political party but also questions about the effectiveness of the political leadership of Penny Beckles.”
Gambling has grown into a legal industry in this country, from Play Whe, Cash Pot and Lotto to casinos where you put in your money and hope to win big.
It’s not only about money. Crossing the road or driving today is a gamble. Gambling is the celebration of uncertainty.
Politics itself, as a theatre of delusion, illusion and deception, is a gamble in several ways. Financing an election is a gamble. Going up for election is a gamble.
“Gamble” is generally defined as “taking great risk in the hope of substantial gain” (Oxford Concise Dictionary). And yes, some people do win. In fact, success in life often comes with great risk, overcoming the probabilities.
Is PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar a big risk-taker, a political gambler, as she supports US President Donald Trump’s mission to blow up alleged drug-runners? As she blasts Caricom for being ineffective and an “unreliable partner”? As she insists that the US military radar system in Tobago is not a “base” but merely “a radar, support generators, a tent and some portable latrines”? And as her UNC government gives strong support to the US at the UN and OAS for its sustained attack against the alleged drug-trafficking from Venezuela?
Each is a gamble, because the consequences appear uncertain. For example, suppose Trump loses the next US elections? There is also growing political backlash to each of her risk-taking positions.
But she carries on as an “action woman” with the confidence that the circumstances dictate her gamble.
With US Embassy backing, she seems bravely prepared to take the risk of supporting Trump against substantial political opposition at home, vociferously led by the PNM. She is prepared to criticise Caricom’s “irrelevant” Zone of Peace policy, at the risk of attracting some Caricom states’ negative pushback on trade matters, in spite of her soothing declaration that there is: “No plan to leave Caricom.”
Her gamble on the radar system in Tobago gets shaken by the expansion of its base, the manufacturer’s advice and continuing US actions against Venezuela. For both her and Tobago’s Chief Secretary, facing a January 12 election, there are political risks.
But are the risks deep and serious enough, since Ms Persad-Bissessar claims the US partnership is helping this country’s “war on crime”? Is her gamble on gaining a short-term US payoff and protection from any Venezuelan assault?
Back home, the PM and her government face an angry population not only because of the doubled licensing and traffic fines, but because of the “shock and awe” announcement of these fines just after Christmas.
There was chaos and, in some cases, complaints of injustice.
But she took the policy risk in the name of “lawful road safety,” and obviously considering that the next election is four years away.
However, as many commentators noted, these fines are both excessive for their purpose and more of a revenue-collection exercise, given current financial pressures.
One of Ms Persad-Bissessar’s biggest gambles was her campaign promise of a ten per cent increase for public servants, against the four per cent offer by the PNM government. It was a gamble hoping for a big political pay-off.
Coming up to the April 28 general election, she got some of the country’s leading unionists on her political platform, most notably PSA president Felisha Thomas and OWTU head Ancel Roget. She made three ”yellow-coded” unionists ministers, one of them labour minister, all as part of her strategy for recovery from the losses resulting from five UNC MPs being dissidents.
However, the risk effects of her “ten per cent increase” and continued remuneration for public servants are now matters of public controversy, led by the PNM.
The PM’s risky decision to have an unprecedented number of 35 ministers seems to have paid off. There isn’t any noise. Apart from an early half-hearted query, the PNM remains silent on this, apparently “waiting its turn.”
She was even brave enough to sideline TV Jaagriti, of the Hindu-based Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), and switch to Hindu SWAHA’s ieTV.
These gambles are no doubt linked to the confidence she gained from winning the 2025 election after losing the 2015 and 2020 elections. In fact, at one time, she was seen as a UNC liability. Her dramatic 2025 return was based on a series of daring political gambles she took.
Whether she will win or lose as a result will certainly be an exciting part of our politics heading towards 2030.
THE EDITOR: According to a newspaper report, government failed to deliver on its clear and public promise to make private pensions tax-free as of January 1.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the UNC campaigned on this pledge and were voted into office. Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo repeated this promise in Parliament during the reading of the 2025-2026 budget.
There was no ambiguity – only a firm deadline. That deadline has passed and based on a media report, pensioners are still being taxed.
Now we are told “the numbers were not ready” and that legislation to deal with this will be addressed sometime in February. This is unacceptable. Governments should not announce effective dates without preparation – unless the promise they made was never intended to be honoured on time.
What makes this failure especially galling to me is the Government’s selective urgency. When it came to halting Stuart Young’s prime ministerial pension, action was swift and decisive.
That same alacrity completely vanished when it came to ordinary pensioners who stood to benefit if this promise was kept.
Meanwhile, annuitants must submit certificates of existence by February 1, ensuring continued tax deductions, before Parliament even revisits the issue. This is not a harmless delay; it is a financial penalty imposed through government indecision.
I am certain many pensioners (myself included) would have already structured their finances/budgets around a promise that was made to them, not by an opposition political party, but by the state itself.
Consequently, Persad-Bissessar owes pensioners an explanation – and more than that, results. When the legislation is finally passed, it must include retroactive (cash as opposed to non-cash) backdated to January 1, 2026.
Promises made in Parliament are not campaign slogans. They are obligations. Accordingly, failure to completely discharge this obligation (inclusive of the refund) would make the budget announcement of tax-free pensions from January 1, seem less like government policy and more like propaganda from a political party.
THE EDITOR: Am I the only one who finds it very strange that our prime minister, who last year was front and centre in the media as she grand-charged while stoutly backing and defending the United States, is now nowhere to be seen or heard?
From “kill them violently,” “Caricom is not a reliable partner,” and “the radar protects TT,” the PM held the attention of the country as she gave repeated and very public support of the US’ geopolitical policies and the massing of American military assets in the southern Caribbean Sea.
So much so, that Persad-Bissessar was pilloried by the government in Caracas which also took the unusually harsh and undiplomatic decision to declare her “persona non grata.” To this, the PM thumbed her nose at the Maduro government saying she had no interest in even visiting Venezuela.
Lo and behold, after US Special Forces agents woke up a snoring Nicolas Maduro, telling him: “Buenos dias senor Presidente. Por favor acompanenos ahora, vamonos! (Good morning Mr President, please accompany us now!” and whisking him and his wife from Caracas to New York, the TT prime minister has basically vanished into thin air!
I can’t recall the last time I saw her in public or at a post-Cabinet press conference.
Could it be that, having seen Maduro replaced by Delcy Rodriguez as president, Persad-Bissessar now has serious political egg on her face, as realisation dawns slowly and painfully, that perceived US support is non-existent?
What is clear is that the US used TT and its government to further its socio-political agenda of removing Maduro from power. And when this mission was achieved, the US dumped Persad-Bissessar who now appears too ashamed to show her face in public.
What is not clear, is what happens to TT now that we find ourselves alone, with no Stars and Stripes behind us, as we have confront our closest South American neighbour whose government is still Chavista in make-up and philosophy.
FOREIGN and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has not gone missing in action since US military forces executed a covert operation on January 3, to capture and extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from a fortified compound in Caracas and transport them to New York.
Maduro and Flores are expected to stand trial there on drug and several other criminal offences.
Addressing a news conference held at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on January 4, Sobers rejected any suggestion that Persad-Bissessar has failed to address the nation directly about events leading up to and after Maduro’s capture.
“The Prime Minister is on top of things. There is nothing to be worried about. The administration is in control.”
Maduro and Flores were captured and extracted from Caracas around 2 am on January 3, through a coordinated US aerial and ground operation. The US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit Delta Force was reportedly involved in the mission which US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine described as well planned months in advance among several entities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Caine visited Trinidad and Tobago last November and held talks with Persad-Bissessar. After those talks, Persad-Bissessar said the discussions with Caine did not involve Venezuela but US-TT security cooperation against narco-trafficking.
Last October and November, members of the 22nd US Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU) held joint training exercises with the TT Defence Force. The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely, one of the first ships in the region as part of the ongoing military deployment, also visited TT last October.
US Marines also installed a military radar at the ANR Robinson International Airport last November. Persad-Bissessar has insisted the radar was to deal with narco-trafficking in TT maritime areas. The government has also allowed the US military access to the Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights for an indefinite period of time.
Sobers said shortly after Maduro’s extraction, Persad-Bissessar has been engaged with elements of the National Security Council (NSC) which she chairs. He added this engagement continues. Sobers could not say when or if Persad-Bissessar will address matters surrounding Maduro’s capture
He repeated Persad-Bissessar’s statements on January 3, about TT not being involved in the US military action which removed Maduro from power, continuing support for the Venezuelan people and hoping for strengthen relations with Venezuela as it transitions to a post-Maduro period.
Sobers dismissed a suggestion that Venezuela views TT as being complicit with the US in removing Maduro as president.
“I don’t know at all that Venezuela considers TT complicit in anything. That has never been said by any authority in Venezuela since yesterday.”
Sobers also dismissed questions about previous threats made by Venezuelan government officials against TT before January 3. He said despite all the rhetoric, TT-Venezuela diplomatic ties remain intact and TT Embassy staff in Caracas are safe. Sobers added all TT nationals resident in Venezuela or visiting there before January 3 have been accounted for.
“There is no risk at all.”
Despite Maduro’s capture, Sobers said government’s position that the US military deployment to the Southern Caribbean is solely to fight transnational crime and nothing else, remained unchanged.
He repeated that TT has benefitted from a decrease in crime towards the end of last year, through a combination of the US intervention and Persad-Bissessar’s vision to fight crime.
“It is clear that the intervention has worked.”
Sobers wondered why emphasis was not being placed on this.
“That is what the media should be asking us questions on. That is what should be celebrated coming into 2026.
He said, “That is based upon a vision by our Prime Minister and the charge that is being led by her and by this administration.”
Sobers said from day one, Persad-Bissessar has tactfully handled US-Venezuela tensions and how they impact on TT.
“The Prime Minister has always been extremely diplomatic in her use of language as it pertains to the evolving position in Venezuela and will continue to do so.”
Sobers said there was nothing wrong with the briefing being held at UNC headquarters and not a government office.
“I don’t think the country is actually concerned with the medium or the location of the press conference.”
Sobers said citizens would be more concerned “with the substance of the press conference.”
He told reporters that because the Venezuela situation is fluid and dynamic, information has to be carefully disseminated before it is shared with the public.
“We don’t want to pronounce on matters that could cause a flurry of conversation that is not necessary at this point in time.”
Sobers could not say whether or not Persad-Bissessar would attend a Caricom Heads of Government meeting scheduled to take place in St Kitts/Nevis at the end of February.
Persad-Bissessar has publicly disagreed with other Caricom leaders about the US deployment and Caricom’s position that the Caribbean be maintained as a zone of peace. Last December, Persad-Bissessar condemned all local and regional critics of the deployment, claiming this was an attempt to get US forces to leave the Caribbean.
Persad-Bissessar said the US is the only nation in the world which can protect TT from external security threats.
Sobers also dismissed suggestions government is not being transparent about any of the events related to the ongoing situation in Venezuela.
“It is not being dealt with in a clandestine manner at all.” Sobers said the public can be assured of two things from the UNC: You will get results, you will get transparency.”
Sobers declined to comment about a video posted on social media, claiming that arms and ammunition were being escorted by the police to Chaguaramas. After confirming he is a member of the He also said matters before the NSC must be handled with discretion.
Housing Minister and UNC deputy political leader David Lee also agreed with Sobers that Venezuela’s situation remains fluid.
OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles criticised the absence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar from the UNC’s press conference on January 4 attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers and Housing Minister David Lee.
This follows the US military’s seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amid the positioning of its fleet in the southern Caribbean including a radar presence in TT, the latter fact incurring open threats to TT from top members of the Maduro regime.
“Where is the Prime Minister?” asked Beckles in an online statement hours later.
“The nation would reasonably have expected the Prime Minister to be present at today’s press conference.”
Beckles alleged the two ministers appeared unable to provide clear answers on matters of national importance.
“Trinidad and Tobago cannot be expected to accept a Prime Minister who seems unwilling to make herself available to the media and, more importantly, to the people she was elected to serve.
“What makes this situation even more unacceptable is the UNC’s poorly executed press conference, which appeared deliberately designed to distract the population with frivolous and cheap political rhetoric on issues relating to the HDC, rather than addressing the serious and pressing national concerns before us.”
Beckles said when reporters had asked about the PM’s whereabouts, Sobers fumbled through his response.
Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers speaks during a news conference held at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on January 4. – Photo by Innis Francis
“When questioned about why the press conference was held at the UNC headquarters, he claimed it was because the location was “centralised.” Later in the same briefing, he stated that the National Security Council was meeting, only to then assert that he himself was a member of that Council. At best, this was confusing. At worst, it was deeply misleading.”
She said Sobers said the PM need not address the nation because “no one in Trinidad feels unsafe” but that the public is still owed answers.
“Leadership demands transparency and accountability, not silence and deflection.”
Beckles said critical questions remain unanswered.
“What is the current status of our airports and the flights that were delayed or cancelled? Why were streets cordoned off in Port of Spain?”
She asked about the government stance towards Caricom and the recent developments and toward the Chief Secretary of the THA on matters of national security.
“When will she begin addressing issues relating to international law and the UN Charter?
“Most importantly, what should the wider society expect moving forward?”
Beckles said Sobers struggled through the briefing, allegedly lacking the necessary information and co-ordination with relevant line ministers.
She said the briefing ultimately collapsed when Lee abruptly ended it, allegedly refusing to entertain further questions from the media.
“So the question remains. Where is Kamla Persad-Bissessar?
“If leaders such as Mia Mottley, Irfaan Ali, and Donald Trump can address their nations on matters of public importance, why is the Prime Minister of TT hiding? Our nation deserves better.”
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar is optimistic that a US-led governance structure in Venezuela will help to strengthen relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the South American nation.
She made the statement in a post on her Facebook page on January 3, minutes after US President Donald Trump addressed a news conference announcing that the country’s military forces had attacked Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city, and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Trump told reporters the US will run Venezuela in the wake of the military strike.
In a clear reference to Trump’s statement, Persad-Bissessar said, “Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to renewed co-operation and the strengthening of our longstanding friendship with the people of Venezuela in the coming years.
“May God guide and protect them as they transition away from years of oppression and dictatorship onto a new pathway towards democracy, justice and prosperity.”
Persad-Bissessar, in an earlier post, acknowledged the attack on Venezuela but said “Trinidad and Tobago was not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations.”
She added that TT continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.
Persad-Bissessar has supported all aspects of the ongoing US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean, the establishment of a US military radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago and the indefinite granting of US military transit flights into and out of the Piarco and ANR Robinson International airports.
US strike ‘deeply troubling’
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, meanwhile, described the attack as “deeply troubling.”
She believes it could potentially affect TT and the wider Caribbean.
“While some information remains unclear and unconfirmed, any such development in our immediate geographic space is a matter of serious concern for Trinidad and Tobago, Caricom and the wider Caribbean,” Beckles said in a statement.
She said under the PNM, TT consistently upheld the principles of respect for sovereignty, no interference and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“The PNM reaffirms our party’s firm commitment to our country and all countries maintaining the Caribbean as a zone of peace and we caution against actions that may further destabilise the region and endanger civilian lives.”
Beckles called on all parties involved to exercise restraint, respect international law and pursue dialogue and diplomatic solutions.
“The protection and preservation of human life must remain paramount.”
In her statement, Beckles also criticised Persad-Bissessar for not expressing concern about the well-being of Trinidad and Tobago staff based at the embassy in Caracas.
“We have taken note of the Prime Minister’s three-line statement this morning (January 3), which made no reference to the fact that Trinidad and Tobago has an embassy with staff in Caracas. We place on record our concern for the safety and welfare of the staff and all TT nationals in Venezuela.”
In a Facebook post, acting Foreign Affairs and Caricom Minister Barry Padarath said staff at TT’s Caracas embassy had been contacted and they were safe and continuing with their duties.
“We thank them for their service to our nation,” he said.
Caricom monitoring situation
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and other Caricom leaders met in an emergency session to discuss the US military strike in Venezuela.
She later told reporters that Barbados and Caricom, by extension, have not taken a decisive position on the issue.
Men watch smoke rising from a dock after explosions were heard at La Guaira port, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTO
“Venezuela is our friend. The United States is our friend. In fact, in both instances, we have family relations in both countries,” Mottley, a former Caricom chairman, said during a news conference.
“By the same token, the Caribbean Community has been the entity that we have both chosen as a matter of first principles to align our foreign policy with.
“When the heads of government met this morning (January 3), not all of the persons were there because it was an emergency, early meeting. We took a decision that we will wait for other information to become present, and when that happens, we will certainly act collectively and I do not want in any way to prejudice the integrity of that consultative process with Caricom.”
Caricom, in a statement, said members met on the military action in Venezuela and were monitoring the situation, which has possible implications for neighbouring countries.
Writing on the wall
Historian Dr Jerome Teelucksingh believes the US attack on Venezuela was inevitable.
“We saw similar situations where US invasions occurred in recent history in Iraq with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and (Muammar) Gaddafi in Libya,” he told Newsday.
“So it was very strange that some of the so-called international relations experts did not expect a showdown and did not expect an invasion. The writing was on the wall because of the military encirclement that was happening.”
Teelucksingh said Caricom must now seek to “check and strengthen itself.”
He said, “Caricom needs a stronger voice. Its voice seems to have been lost in this Venezuela/US showdown.
If Caricom is not strong, then probably we need another regional body, with Latin America and the Caribbean, to prevent any future occurrences of a military invasion.”
He recalled that Caricom countries did not intervene to restore order in Grenada after Maurice Bishop and members of his Cabinet were assassinated in 1983.
“Why did we depend on the United States when Grenada had a crisis? This dependency on the United States does not augur well. It does not show the Caribbean as being independent. It doesn’t show there is any Caribbean unity.”
Teelucksingh predicted the attack would lead to “waves of refugees” in this country.
“People who were supporters of Maduro will now become refugees. That is a strong possibility. We had the refugees of the anti-Maduro people and now we could have refugees of supporters of Maduro.”
This story has been updated to include additional details. See updated post here.
US President Donald Trump says the US will run Venezuela following a military strike on the capital city, Caracas, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Speaking at a news conference in Florida, hours after US air and ground forces executed a daring mission in Caracas to extract Maduro and his wife from a heavily fortified compound around 2 am. Among the units reportedly involved in the mission was the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force.
Maduro and Flores are now on board the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, part of the larger US military force that has assembled in the southern Caribbean since last August. They are to be taken to New York to face trial on drug related charges.
Asked about Venezuela’s immediate future after this operation, Trump said, “The US is going to run Venezuela until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”
He did not explain what that meant or who could be part of any transitional regime in Venezuela. He said Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez had been sworn in as president after Maduro’s capture, and she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump said it was unlikely Rodriguez or any member of Maduro’s regime would hold any position of power in Venezuela for long.
He cast doubt on whether exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado would lead or be part of any interim Venezuelan government. Trump said it would be difficult for her to lead Venezuela because “she doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.”
He added, “We’re going to make sure that country is run properly. We’re designating people right now and “we’re going to let you know who those people are”.
When asked who would run Venezuela, Trump referred to Rubio and other people standing behind him.
“It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me.”
Trump said the US was not afraid to put American troops on the ground in Venezuela to keep the peace and had the operation to extract Maduro been unsuccessful, the US was prepared to launch an even larger strike.
After repeating his claim that Venezuela stole oil and other energy assets from the US, Trump said American oil companies will be going into Venezuela to fix its “broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country.” He promised reimbursements for Venezuelans and other people who suffered economically under Maduro’s regime
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, supported Trump’s position that US forces in the southern Caribbean remain on high alert to deal with any situation. He said the mission to extract Maduro took months of meticulous planning involving the US military and other entities such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Caine visited Trinidad and Tobago last November and held talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. After those talks, Persad-Bissessar said the discussions with Caine did not involve Venezuela but US-TT security cooperation against narco-trafficking.
Last October and November, members of the 22nd US Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU) held joint training exercises with the TT Defence Force. The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely, one of the first ships in the region as part of the ongoing military deployment, also visited TT last October.
US Marines also installed a military radar at the ANR Robinson International Airport last November. Persad-Bissessar has insisted the radar was to deal with narco-trafficking in TT maritime areas. The government has also allowed the US military access to the Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights for an indefinite period of time.
THE Ministry of Defence is advising the public that Trinidad and Tobago’s airspace remains open, even as commercial flights from the US were cancelled following a US military strike in Venezuela.
A release on January 3 said the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) instructed flights leaving the US that morning to return to the US.
A JetBlue flight bound for Trinidad received those instructions minutes after take-off from JFK International Airport.
The Airports Authority of TT indicated that, because of the FAA ban on US commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace, KLM, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue and Amerijet Cargo cancelled flights.
A statement for Caribbean Airlines said there have been no disruption of its flights and operations continue as scheduled.
US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife at a military base in Caracas and destroyed several targets in the early ours of January 3. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said this country was not involved in the military operation.
