By Prior Beharry
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not backing down from her statement that all Venezuelan migrants who committed crimes in Trinidad and Tobago should be deported.
She initially commented at a Town Hall Meeting in Barataria on Monday. She said, “The time has come to take action against Venezuelan migrants who are committing crimes daily against our citizens.”
Since then Persad-Bissessar has been criticised for those statements.
Activist Sofia Figueroa-Leon said she was “shock” and “flabbergasted” by the opposition leader’s comments, which she said, were also irresponsible, ignorant and filled with hate.
But Coordinator of the Migrants Support group Angie Ramnarine agreed with Persad-Bissessar saying that any migrant who supported committing crimes should be deported.
National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds condemned the Persad-Bissessar’s stance on Venezuelan migrants, saying it was cheap political strategy, adding it was “nothing more than a political crustacean and scraper.”
He compared her “reckless outburst” to mimicking a Donald Trump-style of politics.
Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne, posted on X: “The Ministry of National Security has continuously been deporting Venezuelan nationals who break the laws of T&T while here.”
Replying to his post, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said, “Madness. She previously demanded that we accept all of them carte blanche without question. Now, all of a sudden, she wants to deport them en masse?”
But in a release on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar reiterated that a 69-year-old Winston Thomas was beaten, robbed, kidnapped, stabbed in the head and murdered by Spanish-speaking men, adding, “but instead of standing up for our citizens’ safety, we see lunatic ministers and commentators politically simping for criminals with fake outrage about xenophobia and hatred.”
She said, “The level of idiocy, lunacy and political simping being exhibited in the name of politically correct virtue signalling wokeism by some media editors, politicians, activists, and commentators who seem to have abandoned common sense is astounding.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “They would have the population believe the Spanish-speaking men responsible for murdering Mr Thomas were more likely to be Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas and not Venezuelan migrants.
“Mr Winston Thomas had an unpleasant interaction last week with Venezuelan migrants before he was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by three Spanish-speaking men.”
She said Venezuelan migrants were not fleeing their homeland because of any natural disaster.
Persad-Bissessar said, “… they are fleeing the mess created by successive governments voted for. Our citizens have been exceedingly accommodating and generous over the last few years.”
She said, “We already have a problem with local gangs, we don’t need migrants committing crimes here also.
“I further remind that migrants in the USA who commit crimes have always been deported: that is not a Trump policy.
“I stand solidly by my previous comments on the deportation of criminals and reaffirm them. The well-being and safety of Trinidad and Tobago citizens must always come first.
“It’s astounding that Ministers Browne, Imbert and Hinds care more for migrants who commit crimes than for Mr Thomas and our own citizens. Make common sense and safety the priority.”
What is Kamla Persad Bissessar’s position on others to include citizens of Trinidad and Tobago who committed crimes. Where she’s going to send them🤨