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  • 3 months ago

One international and regional relations expert says CARICOM is uneasy, and it appears Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is operating in a space apart from everyone else when it comes to the mounting regional conflict and the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Venezuela, and the wider region.

TV6's Nicole M Romany has the details.

Transcript
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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