By Alicia Chamely
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar needs to tell the country what she has agreed to and what protections she has put in place for the people of Trinidad and Tobago should tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalate into physical confrontation.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday from his Goodwood Park home, former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley questioned the government’s involvement in the conflict between the US and Venezuela, warning of devastating effects should T&T be seen as a target of retaliation by Venezuela.
Rowley warned that the continued combative dialogue and actions of the government, which rejected the CARICOM’s calls for the region to be seen as a “Zone of Peace” could put T&T at risk of being targeted by Venezuela.
The former Prime Minister’s warning came after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Sean Sobers announced last week that the US’ 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit would be joining with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) this week for military to military training exercises.
Sobers denied this military visit was connected to US’ Operation “Southern Spear,” targeted at disrupting the drug trade in the Latin American region. On Sunday night US announced its intent to designate the Venezuelan gang – Cartel de Los Soles -as a terrorist group led by Nicholas Maduro.
Noting this announcement, Rowley cautioned when a group is labelled as a “terrorist group” it gives legitimacy to all military action against the group.
With the increasing build-up of American military forces and assets in the Caribbean, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addressed the Venezuelan population on Saturday night, commenting on the US and T&T military training exercise being conducted this week.
Maduro said, “The government of Trinidad and Tobago has once again announced some irresponsible exercises, lending its water off the coast of Sucre state for military drills that are intended to be threatening toward a republic like Venezuela, which does not allow itself to be threatened by anyone.”
Referring to Persad-Bissessar as a “badjohn” and accusing her of hiding from the public, Rowley cautioned any action taken by the US against Venezuela would have disastrous consequences for T&T.
He said, “If tomorrow, there is a confrontation between Venezuela and the United States, and T&T is seen to be a participant, big or small, it is entirely, as a result, of decisions taken or actions taken by the government of T&T under the UNC, under the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar. I want to make that abundantly clear.”
Rowley cautioned should a physical confrontation take place it would cripple the country. He explained the first step that would be taken by oil and gas companies would be to remove all personnel from offshore platforms as these would be seen as “targets.”
He said, “If a threat like that comes to us, a credible threat, that those platforms are in fact legitimate targets, those international companies will do one thing. They will remove their staff from the platform and once the staff comes off the platform – which shuts the only gas supply to Trinidad and Tobago, that shuts down Point Lisas, shuts down the LNG plant, and it shuts down every factory in Trinidad, and this bulb will not light.”
“Because we are so vulnerable, what the hell are we doing,” he added.
Calling on Persad-Bissessar he said, “What preparations have you made to protect us in the event that your offer is taken up (to facilitate the US military and assets in T&T territory) or that Venezuela is attacked and they see us as they have said they see us, as a combatant in a military intervention against their territory.”
Warning that “we are at great risk, Rowley said, “today I call on the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago to come before the country and tell us what you have done, tell us what you have agreed to, tell us what you have abandoned what has worked and tell us and tell us what protection you have in place for the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the event that there is physical confrontation between Venezuela and the United States.”
He further called for her to provide some clarity on her discussions with the American’s and to address the public.
Rowley said, “I want to ask the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in the discussions that you have had with the American agencies, are you aware of what their intention is? And, if you are, are you prepared to share that with the people of Trinidad and Tobago?”
“We are in turmoil over a potential military action, and the Prime Minister has nothing to say, the Ministers the less said the better, and of course every time we get something from the government it is a doubling down on this situation cloaked in what the Americans say it is cloaked in,” he said.
Addressing comments by Attorney General John Jeremie last week to the Financial Times, where Jeremie, commenting on T&T’s support of the US action in the region, said under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), T&T must cooperate with the US, Rowley staunchly denied any such clause in the Agreement.
Rowley said, “What is worse, now that we are in this situation where military confrontation is a distinct possibility, the government’s spokesperson in Trinidad and Tobago are saying – well the government had no choice, because all of this US presence and activity in Trinidad and Tobago – and they showing off their hardware in Trinidad and Tobago, is something Rowley signed in the States of Forces Agreement.”
Refuting this he said, “I want here this morning – for the benefit of every citizens of Trinidad and Tobago – as the former PM of Trinidad and Tobago, the chairman of national security council and the person who sat and spoke with Americans throughout my term, that is there is absolutely nothing in the Status of Forces Agreement to permit any commitment from Trinidad and Tobago to breach the UN charter to intervene with military to our neighbours or anywhere in the world.”
“Anybody from the government saying that – it is a lie. There is nothing in any document that I am aware of which prevents the sovereign government of Trinidad and Tobago from saying yes or no to any request coming from any country if we believe it jeopardizes our sovereignty or puts our vulnerability to the test,” he said.
Rowley said he supports any and all action taken against the drug trade, however it must be done within the law and must not risk the vulnerability of T&T and its population.
