Who is advising the Prime Minister? It's the question being asked by the Opposition PNM, after the Prime Minister volunteered Trinidad and Tobago as a base for US troops, should the need arise. Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is now calling on the Prime Minister to come forward and explain herself. Rynessa Cutting has more.
00:00We see that the Honorable Prime Minister has come forward and literally offered Trinidad as a place if certain things happen. She's saying very clear. I mean, Trinidad is available.
00:14Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa's position on the escalating tension between Venezuela and the United States is being met with concern by the opposition, PNM, which is calling on the Prime Minister to come forward and answer to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
00:32And the point about it is if we look at the information as it relates to the United States, I mean, they have bases, they have in Colombia, they have in Honduras, they have in the Bahamas, they have in Puerto Rico, okay, so they have Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
00:52So the impression that we have gotten is that the Honorable Prime Minister hasn't had any discussions. I mean, I don't know if the Prime Minister has, but if the Prime Minister has had discussions with the United States, then the Prime Minister should tell the country that she has had discussions.
01:09We are saying to the Honorable Prime Minister, this is an extremely important matter. Make yourself available to the press and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago so you can be questioned just as we are offering ourselves to be questioned.
01:24But the opposition leader strongly believes that the Prime Minister is simply pandering to the United States.
01:31And she laments that this is being done to the detriment of TNT's relations with fellow CARICOM member states.
01:37I get the distinct impression that the Honorable Prime Minister in some way is trying to put herself in a position where she's looked unfavorably by the Trump administration.
01:54The truth is that we understand a scenario like this requires CARICOM to have one position.
02:03Former Foreign Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Dr. Amy Brown describes the Prime Minister's statement as reckless, bold and out of place.
02:1324 hours ago, the Prime Minister of a founding member state has said we have no intention of engaging CARICOM on this matter.
02:22Each member state can speak for themselves.
02:25And it's really unfortunate because, and I have to say sinister, because even as that statement was being released by the Prime Minister,
02:37there are efforts underway to mobilize CARICOM to examine these very issues toward building a consensus.
02:46So what she has done there over 24 hours ago is to fire a shot across the bow of CARICOM solidarity and literally sabotage a region's ability to form a consensus and craft a united position on this very significant matter.
03:08He further notes, the Prime Minister's position varied significantly from that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as that of TNT's ambassador to CARICOM.
03:19He's calling for clarity.
03:21What is our perspective? Is it that of a satellite state?
03:26Which version of our policy would we be taking to the Security Council?
03:30The foreign ministers, Ralph Marajers, or Kamala Passat's decessors?
03:35And we're forced to ask the question, who exactly is advising the Prime Minister on these matters?
03:44Where's the advice coming from? Is it coming from Port of Spain?
03:48These are valid and important questions, members of the media.
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