CITIZENS of Trinidad and Tobago should never applaud the mention of the nation’s name in a negative light especially by foreign countries.

This comes from former Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Amery Browne at a press conference held by the opposition on Monday.

He was referring to last week’s comparison of Trinidad and Tobago’s crime rate by US Vice President JD Vance to that of Washington’s.

Dr. Browne said focus should be made on all the positive aspects of Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr. Browne said, “We in Trinidad and Tobago heard the name of our nation being used in another capital as an example of high crime in response to protestors. That is not the full picture about us and who we are. Yes we have challenges with crime like many other countries but we also have many advantages and assets.

He said, “We may not be a superpower like you (the US), but we do have some superpowers such as our diversity, our creativity, the greatest carnival in the world, we have the greatest street food in the world such as doubles and you could really pile on the positives.”

“We should never applaud or be unbothered when our nation’s name is becoming a negative caricature in any foreign political discourse,” Dr. Browne said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar acknowledged the statement when she issued a press release on Saturday addressing US intervention with Venezuela.

“Trinidad and Tobago has been helplessly drowning in blood and violence for the last twenty years; Vice President Vance spoke the truth when he mentioned our high murder and crime rates,” she said.