00:00Director of Caribbean Development Research Services Peter W. Wickham says the current
00:07geopolitical situation is a mess. He warns that the region is in a state of deep discomfort,
00:14yet it appears that Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissasa remains focused solely on her
00:19own agenda, a stance he describes as deeply worrying.
00:23I get the impression the vast majority of people in Trinidad and Tobago are also concerned.
00:28Across the region, the concern is greater. I think in Trinidad, there's a level of anxiety
00:32regarding what will happen and uncertainty. Across the region, that uncertainty is mirrored
00:39because we essentially, we don't know what is happening and we get a sense that there's
00:44a provocation. It's pretty clear that Prime Minister Blassad-Bissasa is comfortable with
00:50that provocation and I think that it makes the vast majority of us uncomfortable.
00:54Wickham tells the Morning Edition that President Donald Trump is inconsistent and history offers
01:01no certainty in his words. He warns that Trump's interest in Venezuela is driven not by narco
01:08trafficking but by economic and material gain, a reality, he says, Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissasa
01:15may not be acknowledging.
01:18Everyone agrees and Trinidad and Tobago is withholding their judgment in relation to the issue.
01:26To me, that says it all. And I'm pretty clear in my mind that Kamala Passat-Bissasa is on
01:31an island, figuratively speaking, and also physically speaking. And the rest of us are in a different
01:38place. And in a situation like that, it will be undiplomatic for other leaders to come out
01:44and essentially attack Prime Minister Blassad-Bissasa and say things which will only make matters worse.
01:50Wickham tells the Morning Edition that the Caribbean is witnessing an unprecedented show of unity
01:56with former Prime Ministers, including Trinidad and Tobago, speaking with one voice in support of the
02:03region as a zone of peace. However, he warns that beneath this rare consensus, a divide remains,
02:10as Prime Minister Passat-Bissasa takes a firm stance that risks heightening regional tensions,
02:17while other leaders proceed cautiously.
02:20You know, how do you bridge this gap? You know, you have a Prime Minister, on the one hand,
02:24that's saying that, you know, you need to kill people violently and supporting what is extrajudicial killing.
02:31Wickham says he sees clearly how the drug and gas deal could benefit Trinidad and Tobago's national
02:38development. But pursuing it through alternative means may complicate matters, especially if a
02:45regime change in Venezuela forces negotiations with a new government that can jeopardize favorable
02:51terms or disrupt exports. He further tells us,
02:55It is clear that President Trump sees a strategic advantage in moving ahead with attacks on Venezuela,
03:03and that's where he believes his interest in Trinidad and Tobago lies.
03:08Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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