VENEZUELAN ACTIVIST APPEALS TO PM ON DEPORTATIONS

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Venezuelan human rights activist, Yesenia Gonzalez is appealing directly to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to stop mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants.  Yesenia Gonzalez says many migrants are being detained unfairly, and some face abuse at the hands of police and immigration officers.

Transcript

00:00In an emotional plea this morning, Gonzalez said she wants to meet with the Prime Minister

00:04to discuss what she describes as the worsening treatment of Venezuelan nationals living in

00:10Trinidad and Tobago.

00:11Basically, I would like to meet the Prime Minister, the Timmons Foundation, to meet the Prime Minister

00:17to discuss a solution to how we have to deal with this migrant that will be deported.

00:28Gonzalez expressed concern that the Prime Minister may be acting on poor advice regarding the

00:34treatment of undocumented Venezuelans.

00:37I don't need to say the word mislead by a committee of professionals who are advising her to how

00:45to deal with the migrant issue or anything like deportations and who is legal and who is not

00:52legal. Because I was very surprised when she said all the illegal migrants being arrested

01:03and deported. It is the same thing what the PNM did, the last government did.

01:09She also alleged that some law enforcement officers take advantage of migrants through corruption

01:16and intimidation. And she fears things would only get worse if there was a mass deportation

01:22exercise.

01:23They corrupt. They take money, they take bride, and they rob the Venezuelans that are working

01:30so hard for the money to send for the family. And that is very sad. Go in three o'clock in

01:35the morning and ready please. Mash up all the items. Take everything. Scare children. The

01:44Prime Minister has to know this is what's going on.

01:46Gonzalez says many migrants are being held for long periods without trial and later deported

01:53without due process.

02:12The activists warned that sending Venezuelans back home could put their lives in danger.

02:17Alexander Broussoul, TV6 News.

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