00:00The Christmas season is almost out and Carnival, which earns the country a good bit of foreign exchange, is fast approaching.
00:07But with the United States taking action against neighboring Venezuela,
00:11will there be a bigger impact than the fallout that has already been stated by Tobago's tourism sector?
00:17TV6 News posed the question to economist Indira Sajuan.
00:20You know, I don't think we even need to go as far as Cannes, or we could even look at this whole Christmas season.
00:25And I think one of the things that seriously and negatively impacted spending in the country is this cloud that hangs over us.
00:36However, Sajuan saw to clarify what she believes is driving that uncertainty.
00:41I do not believe that this cloud is hanging over us because the Prime Minister of Trinidad Tobago
00:46has chosen to support the U.S. when it comes to dealing with the scourge of drugs and all of that in the region.
00:55And similarly, she says whether there was a radar in Tobago or not, the outcome would be the same.
01:01The government of the United States would have been engaging in what they are engaging in.
01:06We are not so all-powerful that we can impact or influence the decision of the U.S. government in terms of what they are deciding.
01:15What they are deciding is their policy, and we simply happen to be where we are, and we are affected by it.
01:22Asked if TNT did not align itself so closely to the U.S., where its troops are in the country,
01:29and Venezuela threatening based on actions taken by the country,
01:32Sajuan expresses a view that the response of Venezuela is in part to do with what she calls
01:37the aggression by the media in presenting the cases of Venezuela and CARICOM.
01:42And the opposition was less aggressive in using this as a means of destabilizing the support on the government,
01:51and I feel very strongly about it.
01:53I feel that Venezuela would, that the entire situation would have been less impacting on us.
02:04The Economist states that TNT's proximity alone to Venezuela is enough to hinder tourism.
02:09I will not be surprised if there is a fallout to Carnival from what is happening,
02:17from the sense of unease that pervades the region.
02:22And despite other countries voicing what she calls their anti-American concerns,
02:27Sajuan isn't of the view that it will make a difference from the perspective of tourism.
02:31I believe that the entire region is going to take a hit until this issue with respect to Venezuela is resolved,
02:41not just trying to add on to people.
02:44Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
