00:00Immoral, illegitimate bullying. These are the strong words used by MSJ leader David
00:07Abdullah to describe the threats made by the U.S. government against Cuban workers.
00:14In a recent statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that America will cancel
00:21or refuse to issue a visa to citizens of countries who are believed to be responsible for or
00:27involved in, particularly, Cuban overseas medical missions.
00:31We're talking, therefore, about government ministers, a whole cabinet perhaps, Permanent
00:38Secretary, Minister of Health, any number of persons in the ministry. So it really is
00:44an absolutely foolish thing. But this is an indication. You have to remember who Marco
00:48Rubio is. He is a descendant of Cubans who left Cuba after the revolution.
00:56Abdullah tells TV6, this is our country, and we have a right to defend it. He's calling
01:02on citizens and civil society organizations to stand together and reject this move.
01:08While we are small, that does not mean that we must cower and be afraid of taking positions
01:16on principle. If we fail to take a position, then something else will come up, and something
01:23else will come up. That's how bullies operate. You have to stop it when it starts.
01:28The MSJ leader is also calling for greater negotiation and navigation skills on the part
01:33of government in addressing the Dragon gas deal with the Trump administration.
01:38It is in the interest of Trinidad and Tobago to have cross-border gas coming from those
01:44two fields and Venezuelan gas from Dragon coming into Trinidad and Tobago. That is in
01:49our economic interest, and that is what we should be pursuing.
01:53Nicole M Romani, TV6 News.
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