00:00Prime Minister Kamla Persaud said in her 2025 Christmas message that Christ's life teaches us that true strength is found in service and that authority without compassion becomes oppression.
00:14And in Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas is a beloved national festival that reflects our rich diversity and cherished democratic freedoms.
00:23Prime Minister Persaud said homes are filled with light and music, families support one another and look forward with hope made possible because we are free to worship, gather and live without fear.
00:35However, Prime Minister Persaud said that at the same time, we remain mindful that many in our region do not share these freedoms.
00:43On the social media platform X on Christmas Eve, Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Mochado, said that she has received information about direct and systematic threats of extrajudicial execution against political prisoners held in El Rodio prison in Venezuela.
01:02Venezuela's opposition leader has the support of the administration led by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has a large military presence in the Caribbean as part of what the U.S. says is a sworn drug cartel, but is now also part of a blockade of what the U.S. calls sanctioned oil tankers.
01:21Prime Minister Persaud said in a Christmas message that, quote, in neighboring countries, populations are forced to live under repression, violence and economic hardship.
01:32Tyranny and oppression have torn families apart, forcing many into refugee lives driven from their homelands by fear and deprivation, unquote.
01:42Earlier this week, Prime Minister Persaud said CARICOM has aligned itself with what she called the Venezuela's narco government, headed by a dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him, and that Trinidad and Tobago wants no part of that alignment.
01:58Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, has dismissed any such claims, while his administration has accused Trinidad and Tobago of supporting a U.S. agenda against Venezuela.
02:08But the Prime Minister also addressed issues in Trinidad and Tobago in her Christmas message.
02:14Prime Minister Persaud-Bissesse said there's a renewed seriousness in public life and a stronger focus on service, responsibility and integrity.
02:23In acknowledging that challenges remain, the Prime Minister said there's confidence that when the welfare of the people is placed first, the future can be shaped with purpose.
02:32Prime Minister Persaud-Bissesse said she draws strength from the values of this holy season.
02:37Values, which she says guides the work of the government and renew her commitment to serve with honesty, empathy, strength and responsibility.
02:47As Trinidad and Tobago engages in national merriment, the Prime Minister urged drivers to be careful on our roads and to not drink and drive.
02:56Ensure that children are supervised and protected at all times and to look out for your neighbours and care for your families and pets.
03:05Jules Brown, TV6 News.
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