00:00Speaking on the Morning Edition, Opposition Leader and Political Leader of the People's
00:05National Movement, Attorney at Law Penelope Beckles drew sharp comparisons between Trinidad
00:12and Tobago's response to Hurricane Melissa and that of other Caribbean nations.
00:18Citing the government of St. Kitts as an example, she notes that authorities there had swiftly
00:24repatriated their citizens while many Trinidad and Tobago students remained stranded in Jamaica.
00:31Beckles says the government's offer of reduced airfare was far from sufficient.
00:36Yes, you send a charter. You normally send a charter. It's not the first time something
00:41like that has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm calling on the government
00:47that the students that have paid, they should be given a rebate. Of course, we hope it's not
00:53going to be like the property tax where, you know, you promise one says rebate, one says,
00:58you know, that's not clear. But I'm calling on them to look again at that policy as it
01:03relates to students paying.
01:05The opposition leader is also expressing concern over Trinidad and Tobago's growing isolation
01:11within CARICOM, urging government to reconsider its regional posture. Prime Minister Kamala
01:17Pasad Bisasa has described CARICOM as an unreliable partner, claiming that it's siding with Venezuela
01:25over Trinidad and Tobago and says that this country is no longer a zone of peace due to
01:31issues like drug trafficking, organized crime and human trafficking. However, Beckles warns
01:37that such positions could further strain relations within the CARICOM block and called on government
01:44to adopt a more constructive and unifying approach. Trinidad and Tobago has always been
01:50a signatory to international law. We understand the importance of sovereignty and we are calling
01:58on the government to recognize the importance of CARICOM, the importance of this region remaining
02:05a zone of peace and to revisit their very harsh and sometimes violent language and recognize
02:15that this situation requires diplomacy.
02:19The opposition leader underscores that her party does not condone human trafficking, narco-trafficking
02:25or drug smuggling in any form, emphasizing that her critics target government policy and rhetoric,
02:33not the country's commitment to regional security or international law. She cautions that the
02:39nation's future cannot be jeopardized by decisions that allow suspected narco-traffickers to be
02:45targeted and bombed without accountability or due process. Beckles also questions the true
02:52purpose of the USS gravely warship in local waters, arguing that a mere press release from the Prime Minister,
02:59claiming it is here for military training, is inadequate. She is calling on the Prime Minister to be fully
03:05accountable and accessible to both the media and the population, warning that Trinidad and Tobago is not prepared for war.
03:15I really do not believe that the Honorable Prime Minister has looked at the consequences. I mean, let's even think about tourism. Let's think about the fishermen. Yes, we can understand that some fishermen say they feel, okay, we have a certain element. We feel a little safer.
03:29But nothing has really started. Are you going to still say that if there is some war or some semblance of war breaking out? So clearly, I am of the view that they did not give it sufficient work. I do not think that we should be risking the lives of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and risking the lives of people of CARICOM.
03:49Nicole M Romany, TV6 News.
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