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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the US after its lethal strike against alleged Venezuelan narco-traffickers

The Opposition Leader urged the Prime Minister to rethink her position

and the Education Minister comfirmed that police are to be deployed across a number of schools

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Transcript
00:00Welcome back. Central Bank Governor Larry Hawaii said the demand for foreign exchange in this country is now about 6 billion U.S. dollars annually.
00:13And in response to a question from TV6 News, the Central Bank Governor confirmed that he has suggested a seasonal adjustment to forex distribution.
00:23To sustain our economy, the demand for foreign exchange is well over 6,000 million U.S. dollars a year.
00:32Central Bank Governor Larry Hawaii speaking with the media on Thursday as he responded to a question from the Express newspaper about whether there is a local foreign exchange crisis.
00:42It's just short of 6 billion, which is 6,000 million U.S. is sold in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:52That is more than all the rest of the islands, including Jamaica combined.
00:56About 4.5 billion by the commercial banks buy.
01:01Governor Hawaii said the Central Bank provides 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.
01:07It's getting to the point where you, the public, have more foreign exchange than us, the Central Bank.
01:14Mr. Hawaii was appointed as the Central Bank Governor on June 24th and has identified the forex issue as a priority.
01:22Credit cards were using 765 million a year of all foreign exchange reserves back in 2015.
01:31It is now 2,317 million.
01:37Now 2,000 million is plenty of money, right?
01:41And as U.S. dollars, right, that we are spending abroad as citizens on an ongoing basis.
01:49TV6 News posed a question about the closing quarter of 2025.
01:54How does the Central Bank deal with the policy for the distribution of forex at a time like that,
02:02when you have the importation of goods for the key shopping seasons,
02:07but also persons who may be flying out for vacation or business at the end of the year?
02:11Yeah, well, in fact, even before that, because, of course, businesses bring in stock around October, November,
02:22orders go out, and the other, probably like Diwali, happens around that kind of time frame,
02:29so you also have a big festival, I suppose, at that time together with Christmas following right after.
02:39Governor Hawaii spoke of one suggested remedy.
02:43We're saying, okay, closer to Christmas, you'll have it higher.
02:47In January, lower.
02:49February, maybe, could be lower.
02:51Carnival, people come in with money rather than go out with money, I presume, right?
02:57You know, and as we go along, you know, different things, we adjust seasonally for that.
03:04We haven't gone very far with that.
03:07It's something that I've sort of put out for us to consider.
03:11The foreign exchange issue is expected to be addressed by the government in its upcoming budget.
03:16Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:19Nine billion dollars.
03:21It's the fiscal deficit being projected by short-lived finance minister Vishnu Danpol,
03:26ahead of the budget reading, for which a date is yet to be announced.
03:30They're going to have to deal with the 10% for the public servants.
03:35Given their borrowing program, that looks a bit sketchy at this time.
03:40They're also going to have to deal, and I'm speaking on behalf of all retired public servants everywhere,
03:46about the no taxes on public service pensions.
03:50Significant, significant point.
03:51And also, a decrease in corporation tax.
03:57How are they going to handle all these transactions if you have no revenue authority?
04:05Five billion dollars a year?
04:07Just, you're prepared to give that five billion dollars a year up?
04:13While trying to increase expenditure, while trying to manage the deficit,
04:19while trying to manage the borrowing program,
04:21it's going to be very interesting to see what it will look like.
04:24What kind of deficit are you projecting?
04:26About nine billion.
04:27I hope I'm wrong.
04:28The former finance minister also had a message for those eagerly awaiting their 10% back pay.
04:35Good luck.
04:38Sport is up next. Keep it here.
04:43In sport, Team TNT came up goalless against Curaçao on Friday night,
04:52much to the disappointment of fans and coach Dwight Yoke.
04:57The big stage and a sea of red behind them, but no alias yet to define them.
05:02Still, the national football team was hoping to show Curaçao what they're made of.
05:06Never faulted the effort of Tyrese Spicer.
05:08It was easier said than done, as the visitors appeared to be the most set team in the first half.
05:1428 minutes in, and they had their first shot on target.
05:20Oh, that's a great flick.
05:21Curaçao with a little surge now,
05:22and the left-footed effort is straight at the goalkeeper,
05:25and Denzel Smith is behind it.
05:27Denzel Smith would be tested on the night.
05:29This was one of his better saves of the match,
05:32keeping a clean sheet and keeping the national team in the contest.
05:35No goals at the end of the first half, as Curaçao held a 52% possession advantage.
05:41But fans still had hoped the match would turn in their favor in the second half.
05:45Trinidad and Tobago applied the pressure in the second period,
05:48and some might say they were wasteful with their chances.
05:52They had 14 shots on goal.
05:53And again, just how did that not go in?
05:57The crowd in awe.
05:58Levi Garcia can't seem to get a clear shot off.
06:01Losing out to the United States on the final day of qualifying.
06:04Here they come now, and they've threaded it through,
06:06and the flag is down, and the save is made by Eloy Roome.
06:09Second ball still alive.
06:11Stabbed at.
06:12Still loose.
06:13Curaçao hammered away.
06:16Garcia not able to secure the opening goal.
06:19The opportunities kept coming as Curaçao defended nervously
06:23against the applied pressure.
06:25Somehow, though, the scores remained goalless.
06:27Plays it to the edge of the box.
06:29Looking for a chance to shoot.
06:31Then slid at an angle.
06:32Now the left-footed effort is on target,
06:34and Eloy Roome beats it away.
06:36Fans hold their heads,
06:38and it would be a repeated gesture in the match.
06:40The goal-less draw puts TNT in third spot in the group.
06:43Jamaica on top, followed by Curaçao,
06:46as this match ends a nil-nil at the history-croped stadium.
06:49Sergio DeFour, TV6 Sport.
06:51And that's a wrap on the past seven days on six.
06:54IOM Rinas are cutting.
06:55If you didn't catch this segment in its entirety,
06:58you can find it on our website, www.tv6tnt.com,
07:04and you can find all these stories and more
07:06on the TV6 mobile app.
07:08Thanks for choosing TV6,
07:09and you do have a great evening.
07:11The TV6, TV6, TV6, TV6, TV6, TV3,
07:26and you can find it on the TV6 mobile app.
07:28Good evening and welcome to the past seven days on six.
07:46IOM Renasa Cutting has what made the news this past week.
07:50Prime Minister Kamala Posad-Basasa praised the United States
07:55after its lethal strike against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers.
08:00The opposition leader urged the prime minister to rethink her position
08:04and the education minister confirmed that police are to be deployed across a number of schools.
08:11As per usual, if it was happening, it was on six. Let's get right into it.
08:16Prime Minister Kamala Posad-Basasa praised what the United States called a lethal strike by its military
08:22on a vessel the U.S. said was carrying drugs from Venezuela.
08:27Following an announcement by the U.S. president,
08:30the U.S. Secretary of State also said the drugs could have been on their way to this country.
08:36Prime Minister Kamala Posad-Basasa tells TV6 News that,
08:39quote, I, along with most of the country, are happy that the U.S. naval deployment
08:44is having success in their mission.
08:47The U.S. government has repeatedly stated that going after the drug cartels was their objective
08:53and they have begun to deliver, end quote.
08:56This was the prime minister's response to our question about an announcement made
08:59by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday
09:02regarding the deployment of U.S. Navy vessels in the waters near Venezuela.
09:06We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat,
09:14a lot of drugs in that boat, and you'll be seeing that and you'll be reading about that.
09:20It just happened moments ago.
09:22President Trump was speaking on another matter at the White House
09:25when he said he had just received an update from the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff,
09:31General Daniel Kaine.
09:32He gave us a little bit of a briefing, and you'll see.
09:37And there's more where that came from.
09:39We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time.
09:43And we just, these came out of Venezuela and coming out very heavily from Venezuela.
09:48A lot of things are coming out of Venezuela.
09:50So we took it out, and you'll get to see that after this meeting is over.
09:57U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on ex-formally known as Twitter that, quote,
10:01as POTUS just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike
10:07in the Southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela
10:12and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization, end quote.
10:17Fox News later posted additional comments from Secretary Rubio.
10:21The president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States.
10:26It destabilizes not just the country, but the entire Caribbean basin.
10:29These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean,
10:33at which point they just contribute to the instability these countries are facing.
10:37So the president's been very clear that he's going to use the full power of America,
10:43the full might of the United States, to take on and eradicate these drug cartels,
10:47no matter where they're operating from and no matter how long they've been able to act with impunity,
10:52that those days are over.
10:53Prime Minister Passat by Sassato on TV6 News, quote,
10:57illegally trafficked drugs and arms have caused death and destruction in our society over the last 25 years.
11:04Our country has been ravaged by bloody violence and addiction because of the greed of the cartels.
11:10The slaughter of our people is fueled by evil cartel traffickers.
11:14The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense.
11:19I have no sympathy for traffickers.
11:21The U.S. military should kill them all violently, end quote.
11:25The Prime Minister said the restriction of illegal guns, drugs and human trafficking
11:29will decrease the violence in the region and, in particular, our country.
11:33The U.S. Navy has deployed vessels, including three missile-guided destroyers
11:37and one nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine in the waters near Venezuela,
11:42as part of what the Trump administration says is a war on drug cartels.
11:47Venezuela is one of Trinidad and Tobago's closest South American neighbors,
11:51while the U.S. is Trinidad and Tobago's largest trading partner.
11:55Late last week, Prime Minister Passat-Besessa had this to say
11:58about the deployment of the U.S. Navy vessels in the region,
12:01while she fielded questions from the media at the Diplomatic Center in St. Anne's.
12:06We will continue relationships with all our neighbors,
12:09and I welcome again the fight against drug trafficking, human trafficking, violence, crime.
12:16So we welcome them. I am not in aggression against Venezuela.
12:20Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, and his allies within the region
12:23have denounced the U.S. Navy deployment and claimed it is disguised as anti-drug operations
12:29and represents a threat to the peace and stability of the region
12:32and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.
12:37Prime Minister Passat-Besessa told TV6 News, quote,
12:40May God bless and protect the members of the U.S. military
12:43who are engaged in the drug interdiction mission.
12:46Their efforts will save many lives in our country and the region, end quote.
12:51Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
12:53What exactly is the arrangement between TNT and the United States?
12:59It was the question the opposition leader said the Prime Minister must answer
13:04as the U.S. ramps up its operations in the Southern Caribbean.
13:10It's been three days since the United States claimed responsibility for the killing of 11 persons
13:16said to be on board a vessel allegedly trafficking drugs from Venezuela.
13:20Actions strongly supported by Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister.
13:26It has also been roughly one week since the U.S. indicated that this country is part of a U.S.-led coalition against cartels.
13:34As such, the opposition leader believes it's high-time Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Besessa
13:39account to the people of this nation.
13:42If they are saying that they have an agreement with Trinidad and Tobago,
13:47I mean, our Prime Minister has to come out clearly and say that there is no agreement,
13:53that they have to have no discussions, and that what Senator Mubia is saying is not true.
13:57I mean, she has to say that, because other than that, we are wondering exactly,
14:03do they or do they not have an agreement?
14:06Internationally, concerns are being raised as to the legality of the military action,
14:10with experts suggesting possible breaches to international law.
14:14And you are not making any reservations at all.
14:17You are saying, you know, kill and kill violently.
14:21And in the first instance, and they are maintaining this has to do with drugs, you know, drug trafficking.
14:27And as I said, that is not a war crime.
14:30The opposition leader is also questioning the failure to produce evidence in the matter.
14:35They have said that this vessel is carrying drugs.
14:38I mean, and we are sure they can, that evidence ought to be evidence that you could provide.
14:42I mean, there's international law, international law of the sea.
14:45There's always specifics if you have an intervention.
14:48So I just want to say to our Honourable Prime Minister to please remember that Trinidad and Tobago is still part of CARICOM.
14:57And regardless of what you say, the world understands that when you are united,
15:02when you are together in CARICOM, it's not just a question of power, but it's speaking of one voice.
15:07We have always been a zone of peace.
15:09And by a zone of peace, what we mean is that war literally in our region, that is not something that we accept.
15:17And with TNT's police commissioner endorsing the act, which many are describing as extrajudicial killings,
15:25the opposition leader is sounding the alarm.
15:28But I hope he maintains the position that Trinidad and Tobago has always subscribed to the rule of law.
15:33And if you subscribe to the rule of law, you understand as a country there is procedure, there is process.
15:39And we don't want to give the impression anywhere in the world that as far as we're concerned,
15:43once you see this, you just kill and don't care.
15:45That could never, ever, I hope, that is not the position of our Honourable Prime Minister.
15:50There have been conflicting views as to the United States' rural intention with respect to its action in the Southern Caribbean.
15:58Meantime, oil exports from Venezuela to the United States are at a nine-month high.
16:05This issue of Venezuela over the years, a lot of countries have been interested in the issue because of Venezuela,
16:12because of oil, because of the energy sector.
16:14We are, I mean, they have said that the vessels are coming this way, but we are waiting to see what more will develop.
16:22We had to a quick break. We'll have more news when we return.
16:32Thanks for staying with us.
16:34Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander revealed last week that Cabinet has agreed to the decommissioning of the Port of Spain prison.
16:42He said the first phase will involve the transfer of prisoners to the maximum security prison in Aruka, which ends to be upgraded.
16:50Today, after 268 years later, the United National Congress government, led by the Honourable Prime Minister, Ms. Kamala Poussad-Bissesa,
17:03has taken the historical decision to decommission the Port of Spain prison.
17:10268 years later, I am pleased to announce this.
17:21This facility has been reportedly condemned by courts, has been unfit for housing prisoners,
17:30and has cost the state millions of dollars in damages for breaches of the constitutional rights of persons.
17:40This facility is an eyesore.
17:47When you come into Trinidad and Tobago on arrival here, and you go to the city,
17:52people take you to the prison.
17:58They often ask you,
18:00you have persons in there?
18:02And the answer is yes.
18:07Rather than continuing paying compensation to prisoners for breach of the constitutional rights
18:13by housing them in facilities that is subhuman
18:17and degrading,
18:20the government will save money
18:23and invest instead in a state-of-the-art prison facility
18:30modernized
18:33to assist in rehabilitation
18:37and restorative justice.
18:40The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
18:45instructed us to consult
18:49with persons
18:51in and around Port of Spain.
18:54And let me tell you this,
18:55we have the support
18:57of the Chamber
19:01and the business community
19:05in and around Port of Spain.
19:09This is long overdue.
19:12This will be done
19:13in four phases
19:14when you look at it.
19:18The first phase
19:19will be in fact
19:20removing prisoners
19:22from Port of Spain
19:24to the maximum security prison
19:26in Arruca.
19:31condemn persons
19:32and persons on remand.
19:36And we continue doing that
19:38until
19:39the prison
19:40is no more.
19:42Education Minister
19:43Dr. Michael Dowlach
19:44confirmed that
19:45come tomorrow
19:46police will be posted
19:48at dozens of schools
19:49including primary schools.
19:52Come Monday
19:53when students
19:55arrive at school
19:57where we have
19:59police officers
20:00students
20:01will be welcomed
20:02by a team
20:03your MTS officers
20:06your safety officers
20:07your deans of discipline
20:09and your school-oriented
20:11police officers
20:12and all students
20:14will be greeted
20:15respectfully
20:16and in a professional manner.
20:19And if there is a need
20:21to search a student
20:22there are protocols
20:24in place.
20:25If a weapon
20:26is found
20:27in a student's bag
20:29or on their person
20:30the principal
20:31will be immediately
20:33identified
20:34and the item
20:36will be secured
20:37safely by the MTS officer
20:39the safety officer
20:41or the school-oriented
20:42police officer.
20:44And then
20:44the school discipline
20:46measures
20:46will come in place.
20:49And so
20:49I want to say
20:51that
20:52as we go forward
20:53in schools
20:56we are taking
20:57our zero tolerance
20:59on indiscipline
21:01especially with violence
21:02and
21:03all incidents
21:06all incidents
21:08will be treated
21:09with severity
21:11if weapons
21:13are involved.
21:14It's 50 secondary schools
21:15where we'll have
21:16full-time police officers
21:18then there'll be
21:18an additional
21:1910 secondary schools
21:20and 10 primary schools
21:21where you'll have
21:22routine patrols.
21:24And at this point
21:25in time
21:25no
21:26we don't want
21:28to reveal the list
21:28until
21:29we implement
21:31the system properly
21:32and get feedback.
21:33Meantime
21:34former education
21:35minister
21:35Dr. Nyan Gadsby
21:36dully advised
21:37caution
21:38as the government
21:39prepares to deploy
21:40police officers
21:41to schools.
21:42She also
21:42sounded the alarm
21:44amid word
21:44that contracts
21:45are yet to be renewed
21:46for school social workers
21:48and guidance counsellors.
22:02What we need to ensure
22:03is that it is consistent
22:04it is continued
22:05and it is backed up
22:06with the other resources.
22:08So usually
22:08it's the community police
22:09I see we have trained
22:10some SRPs
22:11you have to be careful
22:12about the approach
22:13of the officers
22:13in the schools
22:14you also have to be careful
22:15about the general
22:16social interaction
22:17that is important
22:18and a critical issue
22:19when you're putting people
22:19in schools
22:20you have to know
22:21who you're putting.
22:33I have been told
22:34by a number of officers
22:36that they are waiting
22:37the contract renewal
22:38so it's a very important thing
22:41and I would love
22:41the minister to speak on it
22:43whether we are starting
22:44a new term
22:45with a deficit
22:46of social workers
22:47and guidance counsellors
22:48in the schools
22:49because the police officers
22:50do not form
22:51they do not fulfill
22:53that function
22:54so it has to be supported
22:56and so I am
22:57of course
22:57at the education sector
22:58I wish the initiatives
23:00the best
23:00because it is our children
23:02I still have a child
23:02in the education system
23:03so I want
23:05what happens to work
23:06however
23:06because of my experience
23:08I understand
23:08that if you don't
23:09put certain inputs
23:11you will not get
23:11the right output
23:12so the question
23:26really is for me
23:27understanding
23:29what the minister's
23:30actual timeline is
23:31because obviously
23:32those promises
23:32are not going to be kept
23:33so I would like to know
23:35I asked the question
23:36I didn't get any responses
23:37with regards to
23:38what is the process
23:40where are you
23:41in the process
23:41has the procurement
23:43been done
23:43how was that done
23:45who is the supplier
23:47at what stage
23:47is it at
23:48these are questions
23:49that you are not getting
23:50any specific answers to
23:52what you are getting
23:52is these general promises
23:54of when it will be done
23:55which I know are unrealistic
23:56so we really would like
23:58and the public would like
23:59my constituents
23:59would like to know
24:00what are the actual timelines
24:02that are going to be kept
24:03with regards to these grants
24:04we are at the end
24:06of the holiday
24:06to which a week was added
24:08and we are still not there
24:10this is the past
24:24seven days on six
24:25we'll be right back
24:26we'll be right back
24:27we'll be right back
24:28tonight
24:29we'll be right back
24:29we might be right back
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