00:00Opposition leader Kamala Bissetta says she will not stand idly by as she says government
00:07has done and allow citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to be terrorized and murdered by illegal
00:13Venezuelan migrants.
00:15She was referencing 69-year-old pensioner Winston Thomas, who was abducted from his
00:21penal home by Hispanics at 2 a.m. last Thursday, only to be found murdered in the backseat
00:28of his car hours later.
00:30Bissetta on Monday night responding to complaints that Venezuelans robbed an Aranguiz farmer
00:36of his pump made similar remarks.
00:39The government has failed to put in place any proper migrant policies.
00:45We have no proper migrant policies in place and that is something we will look at.
00:50It cannot be that the Venezuelans have been given a home here.
00:55It cannot be not only are they given a home, they don't pay taxes, but they utilize the
01:01hospitals, they utilize our schools.
01:04Yes, we are bleeding hearts and we feel sorry, but there must be a proper migrant policy.
01:10Following up her comments with a media statement hours later, the opposition leader says, quote,
01:16today I make it clear if the Venezuelan migrant community do not get their act in order and
01:22desist from engaging in criminal conduct, begin assisting the TTPs in identifying Venezuelan
01:29criminals and integrate peacefully into our society, my incoming government will take
01:34aggressive action against all illegal Venezuelan migrants and deport every one of them to their
01:41homeland by any means necessary, end quote.
01:44The opposition leader says there's no middle ground.
01:47The migrants must choose whether they will peacefully live in TNT or face deportation.
01:53The Venezuelans have to prove where were you working for the past three years?
01:58You have any payslip, any company that you've worked?
02:02Because if you were not working somewhere, how you live in, banditry?
02:06If they give you a home here, you have to prove that you're worthy to remain here and
02:11that you're not working against law abiding citizens.
02:14Ambassador Becerra says the well-being of Trinidad and Tobago's citizens must always
02:18come first.
02:19Our nation's generosity, she says, is now being exploited and our citizens terrorized.
02:25You see what Trump is doing?
02:28If you don't behave yourself here, go back home.
02:33Go back home.
02:34Treaties first, safety first.
02:38She says migrants benefit from the same concessions as citizens, but they pay no taxes on income,
02:43no national insurance, no health surcharge, and therefore out-compete locals for jobs.
02:50Economist Professor Roger Hussain agrees with the opposition leader, saying,
02:54I have noted before that the inflow of Venezuelan migrants has benefited the non-tradable sector
03:00more than the tradable sector, shifting the economy's focus and adding to inefficiencies
03:07in resource allocation.
03:08Additionally, migrants consuming public goods such as health care and utilities without
03:13contributing through taxation further strains an already constrained fiscal system.
03:19We will have to think this through as our economy struggles."
03:24Meanwhile, UNC critic Devan Maharaj chastises what he calls the Trump-like approach.
03:29He opines,
03:30By framing an entire group of migrants as the root cause of societal issues, the opposition
03:36leader mirrors the divisive tactics of Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric, which similarly
03:42demonize immigrants without presenting actionable solutions.
03:46This approach, while politically expedient, underscores a leadership style that prioritizes
03:51fear-mongering over effective policy-making.
03:55Perhaps inspired that a 70-something-year-old man can be successful at the polls, the leader
04:01of the opposition has started to ape Trumpian tactics, but Kamala is no Donald Trump."
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