PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley is not taking a position on the recent controversial election results in Venezuela.
During a People’s National Movement (PNM) event on over the weekend, Dr Rowley said, “There are people in Trinidad who have come from Venezuela because they didn’t like the last result and I’m not surprised that they are still here.
“But, what we have to be careful… that we don’t take advice from people whose agenda and interests are not the same as T&T. We would maintain our position until there is reason to change it.”
The Venezuelan election has sparked significant unrest, with thousands rallying in the streets of Caracas in support of opposition candidate Edmundo González, who they believe won the presidential election held last Sunday.
Despite this, authorities have declared incumbent President Nicolás Maduro the winner, though they have yet to provide voting tallies to substantiate this claim. The opposition insists it has proof of González’s victory.
In the wake of the disputed election, the Venezuelan government has detained hundreds of opposition supporters, and President Maduro has threatened to imprison opposition leader María Corina Machado and González.
Dr Rowley cautioned against external attempts to force a change in the Venezuelan government, reflecting on past interventions.
He said, “When the United States, Canada and the European Union decided to change the government in Venezuela by force, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Mexico, Uruguay all took objection because a bad situation was about to get worse. We believe that as we do believe now, that any attempt to forcibly change the government of Venezuela by outsiders is asking for trouble, yet unknown.”
Drawing parallels to a local scenario, Rowley compared the situation to the United National Congress’ (UNC) challenge of the PNM’s victory in the 2015 Local General Elections. He noted that despite the UNC’s legal challenge, the PNM’s win was upheld by the courts.
Dr Rowley said, “Here in T&T, we too had an election. PNM won an election. What did the Opposition do? They went to court and told the court they want five seats cancelled because the election was not properly held. Of course, our courts function. They lost, and up to this day parts of the courts not functioning anymore because the PNM cannot collect its costs from the UNC taking us to court.”
Dr Rowley reaffirmed Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to a neutral stance.
He said, “If there are challenges to the results in Venezuela, we will observe the facts as they surface, but T&T will not be out there on anybody’s instruction, ringing anybody’s bell, and taking anybody’s bush tea for a fever that we didn’t create.”
