Stabroek News – January 28, 2019
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
(Trinidad Express) There are more than 200,000 Trinidad and Tobago citizens who hold United States visas and can be impacted by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s “not-so-veiled attack” on the United States over its stance on Venezuela.
So said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at the United National Congress (UNC) national assembly meeting at Couva South Hall on January 27, 2019
United States Ambassador Joseph Mondello had slammed the Trinidad and Tobago Government for continuing to recognise Nicolas Maduro as president of the troubled country.
Rowley, in response, said he took umbrage to this.
“In the Parliament on Friday, while the Prime Minister waged his own war on the US ambassador and President Trump on the Venezuela matter, both the AG Faris and the Planning Minister Robinson-Regis could be heard and seen supporting the Prime Minister by saying ‘what could Trump do we?’” she said.
“I take umbrage at the Prime Minister’s lack of decorum and his non-diplomatic tone in dealing with this matter in Parliament. In particular, I take issue with his not-so-veiled attack on one of our most important trading partners, the United States of America.”
Persad-Bissessar said these hasty, bad decisions of the Government on the diplomatic front have far-reaching consequences in the area of national security and trade.
“Today I tell Rowley, Faris and Camille that while you and your family hold diplomatic passports and you are provided with immunity, over 200,000 of our citizens hold ordinary passports with US tourist visas. So, you want to know what Trump could do to them?” she said.
“I tell this Government while you wine and dine off taxpayers’ dollars in fancy restaurants, 70 percent of all our food is imported from the US at an annual cost of over US$1 billion (TT$7 billion). So, you want to know what Trump could do?” she continued.
She said T&T exports more than US$2.7 billion (TT$18.9 billion) annually to the US in the energy sector.
Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago is the biggest beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and receives trade preferences which grant duty and quota free access to the US to the tune of US$400 million (TT$2.8 billion) annually.
She said participation in CBI requires among other things a waiver of certain WTO (World Trade Organisation) conditions.
Persad-Bissessar said T&T’s current waiver will expire in 2021.
She added that the US president and congress have to approve renewing the agreement.
“And you want to know what Trump could do?” she asked repeatedly.
She further noted Trinidad and Tobago benefits from the CBI with more than US$400 million (TT$32 billion) annually, together with technical advice and cooperation on border control, Customs and Excise and mutual assistance which are heavy features of T&T’s national security apparatus.
Pavement politics
“Rowley, Camille, Faris and others still want to know what Trump could do? Before standing in the wrong side of history and diplomacy and creating bacchanal and scandal with the US and our allies, they should have thought about all of these things before handling the affairs of our nation like pavement politics,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said a leader doesn’t attack and alienate its largest ally—whom T&T depend on for regional security and economic stability.
“A leader doesn’t tell the entire free world–they wrong, but he is right!” she continued as a section of Venezuelans in the audience cheered in support.
Persad-Bissessar noted the Prime Minister said he is standing on principle on the Venezuelan matter.
“I want to say to him one must first have principles in order to stand on them. You cannot be bouffing, humiliating and ostracising our world trade partners and then run off to the US to appear as though you are trying to make peace.
She noted that while the superpowers, the largest democracies in the world and the economic giants have taken a firm stand on the Venezuela matter, the Government is playing “dolly house” with foreign policy.
“I am in no way influenced by the US or other free world nations on the position that I have taken; I believe in doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do and we cannot all be wrong.
“Our world has changed; we are no longer isolated from each other by water; we are connected in real time by technology and globalization.
Persad-Bissessar said today’s diplomacy, as Ambassador Mondello has stated, requires tough choices “and if anything, as your prime minister, I was known for taking those tough choices”.
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US visa fears is nonsense, says Trinidad Government
Trinidad Express – 28 January 2019
Talk by the Opposition United National Congress that Trinidadians holding US Visas should be fearful, is being rubbished by Communications Minister Stuart Young.
At the party national assembly in Couva on Sunday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said there were more than 200,000 Trinidad and Tobago citizens who hold United States visas and can be impacted by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s “not-so-veiled attack” on the United States over its stance on Venezuela.
However, Young said Government felt compelled to reassure citizens that the attempt to cause panic by the United National Congress and in particular Persad Bissesar, by creating fear about a change in relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of America (USA) is unfounded “and a naked attempt to cover up the most recent overwhelming criticism of the Opposition”.
In a statement, Young said: “We remind that CARICOM, and many other countries, took an identical position of non-interference and non-intervention with respect to Venezuela”.
He said that CARICOM has sent a delegation, including Rowley to the United Nations to have discussions surrounding the Venezuelan issue and its potential threat to regional security, social and economic disruption.
“Notwithstanding efforts by the UNC to undermine Trinidad and Tobago’s position, particularly at this time of sensitive negotiations, Trinidad and Tobago reaffirms its principle positions and counts the USA among its treasured partners in observing and protecting these principles” said Young.
Comments
As they say: ‘Don’t Look Before You Leap – It Might Spoil The Surprise!’
Everybody afraid of Trump and the USA. If all the rest of the countries diss him and the US, and just trade and do other business among themselves, then America would fall quicker than a tower of cards in a hurricane.
Trouble is that not many political leaders has the gonads to do that! And don’t forget the white race controls the world. And l am not a racist, l am merely stating facts.
You haven’t seen loyalty to the deep state of the USA yet. Many Guyanese actually believe that they will become billionaire desert princes and princesses of Arabia by the end of 2020.
The government here is a servant to Canada, UK, USA and other pro-rightist governments in Europe; as a matter of fact Mr. Trotman declared on the record when asked of the death penalty, that he supports right wing European governments who murder refugees and migrants.
America isn’t going to come up as the victor if they use useful idiots to invade Venezuela. I’ve spoken with some Venezuelans here in GT, and they confided that there are plenty of militias supporting Chavista culture in Venezuela, and they would fight to the death against “American Yankee imperialism”.
I also speculate that the GoG remained netural regarding the Maduro leadership because they know that Venezuelans have the balls to invade Guyana and wreck havoc as a response.
America knows that they aren’t looking at Vietnam or Iraq where armed jackboots murdered hundreds of thousands of unarmed cave dwellers who couldn’t fight back.
And the only ones here in Guyana that will benefit from Exxon and America are the wealthy few, not us “no entity” people. We might be at a disadvantage when the wealth “trickles down” in the form of higher costs and prices.