- 1 week ago
Here's what made the news this past week
The United States captured Venezuelan President Maduro and took him to America to answer to drug charges
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed the regime change
and the Ministry of Housing hit pause on the squatter regularisation programme.
The United States captured Venezuelan President Maduro and took him to America to answer to drug charges
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed the regime change
and the Ministry of Housing hit pause on the squatter regularisation programme.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening and welcome to the past seven days on six. I am Vanessa Cutting has what made the
00:22news this past week. The United States captured Venezuelan President Maduro and took him to
00:29America to answer to drug charges. Prime Minister Kamala Posabe-Sesa welcomed the regime change
00:35and the Ministry of Housing hit pause on the squatter regularization program. As per usual,
00:42if it was happening, it was on six. Let's get right into it. Who is rally running Venezuela?
00:51This was the question on everyone's lips on Saturday. After news broke that the U.S. had
00:56captured Nicolas Maduro and flown him out to America. Following the U.S. strike in Venezuela,
01:03which saw Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife captured in the wee hours of this morning,
01:10U.S. President Donald Trump had a press conference where he announced that the United States will be
01:16temporarily running the country. So we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe,
01:22proper and judicious transition. And it has to be judicious because that's what we're all about.
01:31We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela. And that includes many from
01:39Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their country.
01:46Trump swore to make Venezuela great again and claimed that Venezuela's vice president would
01:52facilitate the process. Who's going to take over? I mean, there is nobody to take over.
01:57You have a vice president who's been appointed by Maduro and right now she's the vice president and
02:03she's, I guess, the president. She was sworn as president just a little while ago.
02:07She had a long conversation with Marco and she said, we'll do whatever you need.
02:13I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn't have a choice.
02:18However, in what appears to be a direct rebuttal, Rodriguez has demanded the immediate release of
02:24Maduro and his wife, stressing that he is the only true president of Venezuela.
02:30But the U.S. president has made it clear that more strikes are a possibility.
02:49We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world,
02:58go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure,
03:06and start making money for the country. And we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if
03:15we need to do so. It remains to be seen what happens next.
03:21Meantime, Prime Minister Kamala-Pasad-Basasa took to ex with the following post.
03:27Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to renewed cooperation and the strengthening of our long-standing
03:32friendship with the people of Venezuela in the coming years. May God guide and protect them.
03:38As they transition away from years of oppression and dictatorship onto a new pathway towards
03:44democracy, justice, and prosperity. While one government minister was among those in Trinidad
03:51and Tobago reacting to the forceful removal of the former Venezuelan president.
03:57As our neighbor, just seven miles to the south, undergoes political transition by force.
04:02Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism Satyakama Maharaj tells TV6 News, it's too early to say
04:10what, if any, fallout Trinidad and Tobago may experience.
04:15What do you anticipate would be the fallout in terms of our trade and tourism, given the escalation
04:21of events in Venezuela at this time?
04:24Okay, no, the thing is, it's too early to comment on that, but you know, um, the world moves on.
04:30Right? Um, you will find, you know, over time, everything will settle down. You know,
04:40as they say, this too shall pass. I've seen the fourth of the Berlin Wall. I've seen the first black
04:47president in America. I've seen a lot, you know. Let's wait and see, you know.
04:54His view was echoed by a motorist in Port of Spain.
05:03However, some members of the public are unable to adopt a nonchalant attitude.
05:08I think at present, based on what's taking place and the anxieties, the public country
05:15and Tobago don't really know what's taking place, the government has a responsibility
05:20to have a press conference to inform, right, the public country and Tobago so they wouldn't panic
05:28and, you know, bring some kind of, you know, some kind of release or some kind of, you know,
05:33assurance to the public country and Tobago.
05:36Right now, we are feeling vulnerable, right? Um, CARICOM is, is, is, is upset,
05:44right? The Latin Americans is upset, right? Um, you know, the public is feeling vulnerable.
05:49This is, this is not good at all. Sorry to say.
05:52And while Prime Minister Kamla Passat-Bissessa had posted on X that TNT is not a participant in
05:59the ongoing military operations, some believe that by supporting the U.S. and its bombing of
06:05suspected drug boats. This country has opened itself up to any possibility.
06:11It's a kidnapping because it's a sovereign state where the U.S. went into. No one has made the U.S.
06:16the police of any state or anything like that. And I don't agree with what has happened, how it has
06:22happened. And I think it's open aggression. That's me. And I think it's something that could have been done
06:27better. And if we, as a Caribbean community, uh, actually witnessing this and supporting this,
06:36I say, then we are open for any kind of thing that's coming to us. And I'm very clear about that.
06:41And I make no apologies in saying that. Maybe I'll lose a visa I never had, but hey, that's part of the thing.
06:47Meantime, the TNT police service moved to block access to areas in the capital city housing key
06:54agencies. So I'm standing at the corners of Richmond and Sackville streets in Port of Spain. And right
07:00behind me, you can see the parliament building and the TTPS admin building. Now, this is just one of
07:05the areas that have been blocked off by police to vehicular traffic in downtown Port of Spain. At this
07:11time, however, there has been no formal notification from any authority as to why the action was taken.
07:17In a subsequent release, the TTPS indicated that it had implemented a series of precautionary
07:23operational measures to ensure the continued safety and security of the nation, but made no
07:29direct mention of the closure of thoroughfares or when regular traffic will resume. But made no
07:35direct mention of the closure of thoroughfares or when regular traffic will resume. Commissioner
07:41of Police Alistair Guevara emphasized that the TTPS will keep the situation under constant review
07:47and update the public accordingly and referenced the colloquial saying, when your neighbor's house
07:53is on fire, the prudent thing is to wet yours. We'll have more news when we return.
07:59And welcome back. Last week, there was an abrupt halt to the policy which sought to regularize
08:13squatters on properties belonging to the Housing Development Corporation, with the corporation
08:18advising that action will be taken against illegal occupants. Housing Minister Dr. David Lee has met with
08:25the board of the Housing Development Corporation, HDC. The meeting stemmed from reports that a family
08:31who made a down payment for a home at the HDC Corinth site found strangers occupying their home,
08:37triggering an investigation by the minister. While from his meeting with HDC's board of directors,
08:43Dr. Lee says, quote, we had discussions on the issue. At the end, there are different reasons why
08:50some individuals are occupying HDC homes, but there are some who are actually occupying it by breaking
08:57into the homes, end quote. Former planning minister under the People's National Movement administration,
09:03Camille Robinson-Regis, has stated that subsequent to the April 28, 2025 general election, HDC took a
09:11decision to regularize squatters occupying HDC properties. However, Dr. Lee says, quote,
09:17a regularizing policy document was done by HDC and presented to the two previous ministers around
09:24February last year, but it was never approved or went to cabinet for approval based on the information
09:31that is told to me, end quote. There are unconfirmed reports that since news of the policy has come to light,
09:37there are those who have been attempting to source HDC homes for illegal occupation. Minister Lee did not
09:44verify whether these reports are factual, but he points a no-tolerance approach to the overall
09:49situation, saying, quote, any policy change of regularizing individuals is on hold after my
09:55meeting with the board. Any individuals who have occupied homes illegally will be removed, end quote.
10:03Alicia Boucher, TV6 News. In other news, the prime minister said she is willing to revisit the new
10:10health fines for road traffic offenses if drivers curb their bad habits over the next six months.
10:18Prime Minister Kamala Pasad-Bisset said on social media platform X on Friday that the ball is in the
10:23public's court and that their behavior will determine future changes with respect to a ban on fireworks
10:29and the revision of fines for traffic offenses. In an apparent response to criticisms from the public,
10:34the prime minister said she will give the fireworks legislation a couple more months,
10:38but if there is no improvement, she will ban it outright. And as many motorists have been
10:43expressing their frustrations with the increased fines for several traffic offenses,
10:48Prime Minister Pasad-Bisset also said that, similarly, with respect to the traffic fines,
10:53if by the end of the first half of 2026 there is a decrease in road deaths, reckless driving and drunk
11:00driving offenses, she would be willing to reduce traffic fines to lower than they previously were.
11:06The prime minister said that Trinidad and Tobago, quote, will remain a lawless dump unless strong
11:11action is taken against these ignorant people who have no regard for their fellow citizens, end quote.
11:17Prime Minister Pasad-Bisset has said the government is committed to working with
11:20law-abiding citizens to fix Trinidad and Tobago.
11:24Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
11:27Meantime, President of the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association, Brenton Knights,
11:32says neither he nor other stakeholders were consulted before changes were made affecting
11:41driving offenses and the costs for maxi taxis operating on a priority bus route.
11:47And what it means outright, and we certainly turn to what we see it as, a total disrespect.
12:06It's a no bones or no if or what so may be about it. The minister and the government had no
12:11consultation with us at all, period. If we live in that information, AJ could have sent an email,
12:17we could have picked up our phone call and say, look, we're looking to consider this,
12:20what is the situation? No consultation.
12:22NICE also highlighted the additional financial strain operators now face
12:27at a time when costs for fuel vehicle parts and foreign exchange continue to rise.
12:31We also have to be faced with now the custom prices, because when you increase prices at the custom,
12:38right, it's going to affect tires, it's going to affect brakes, it's going to affect all the other
12:42parts that come to maxi taxi. We're getting a double lash here, you know.
12:46Amid concerns from commuters, questions have also arisen about whether maxi taxi shares could increase.
12:53Knights says that is not the association's first option.
12:57And I will tell you outright, openly, that is not our first option on the table.
13:02We are a responsible organization. We look at our operational costs. Just like a doctor,
13:08just like a lawyer, when you have a case before you, you look at all the scenarios. But
13:13razor is not our first option. Our first option is to engage the government to say, hey, you see,
13:19this is what you implement here. Is it not right? And at least in the manner in which you did it,
13:24no lack of consultation.
13:26He also mentioned that the association had several discussions with the minister of transport,
13:31who acknowledged some of the complaints raised by the maxi taxi operators. He said the group also
13:37provided proposal admit at improving the situation for all stakeholders.
13:41When we give them issues that are affecting us, we just give solutions, you know. We don't just say,
13:47hey, look, this border and we all you try and fix it or figure it out. We just give them
13:51comprehensive research data driven solutions, you know.
13:55The Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association is now calling on the minister of transport to revoke the decision and
14:01engage in meaningful consultation with operators and other stakeholders. Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
14:08This is the past seven days on six. We'll be right back.
14:20You're watching the past seven days on six. Thanks for staying with us.
14:25Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Smith announced last week that the TTPS has formed
14:31a dedicated home invasion team within the criminal division. Speaking on the morning edition program,
14:37ACP Smith said logistical arrangements are being finalized and the team is expected to be operational
14:43within the next week. Now we know that home invasion is something that is the term that we use
14:48for everyone everyone to understand, but it consists of different offenses involving persons at their homes.
14:54And, you know, we recognize that while we have divisions working and investigating home invasions,
15:04as we term it, we look at a more controlled approach to investigating these type of offenses.
15:13We know that is an organized crime group that is responsible for the majority of the home invasions.
15:19So we are we are going to launch this new team home invasion team within the next week or two.
15:26We're just finalizing some logistics as it relates to that.
15:29A complete ban on fireworks is not off the table just yet. According to Minister of Land and
15:35Legal Affairs, Saddam Hussein, preliminary reports suggest majority compliance with the new fireworks
15:41regulations. However, he admitted that some people did choose to break the law and use fireworks
15:48outside of the 11.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. window. There has been a large level of compliance with
15:57the current amendments that were passed by the government, but we still have those who decided
16:03that they will break the law. I think the prime minister was very clear when she said that if you
16:09cannot adhere to the law, then we may have to, you know, do what we have to do as a government in order
16:15to bring that level of peace to the neighbourhoods. And switching gears, government launched a pilot
16:21project to allow the registration of births at the bedside. The online registration is meant to
16:27be more convenient to parents, avoid delays and ensure immediate accurate data input. A bedside online
16:36birth registration system has been launched at the San Fernando General Hospital with the aim of
16:42expanding across all RHAs and private hospitals as well. Minister of Health, Dr. Lakram Bodo says
16:49birth registration secures a child's identity and says no child should be without a name or birth certificate
16:57and this system will help with that. By moving this process online, we are ensuring that families
17:04across Trinidad and Tobago can register births quickly, securely and conveniently. This system reduces
17:12paperwork, it minimizes delays and guarantees that every child's identity is protected from the very start.
17:21Minister of Land and Legal Affairs Saddam Hussein says currently parents are given a small piece of
17:28green Bristol board with key information to physically take to a Registrar General's office and carry out
17:35the necessary paperwork. All of that will be eliminated because at the bedside we now have through the
17:41office of the Registrar General the provision of tablets or iPads on the wards so therefore there will
17:48be personnel walking around the wards or available on the wards in order to register the births on that
17:54device. The forms will be thereafter printed once all of the documents are presented in terms of
18:00verification. The forms are signed and therefore immediately the birth is registered within seconds.
18:07He says they are starting with the SWRHA because they already have the right IT framework set up to
18:14allow it but the Minister of Health has given the commitment to ensure it can be adopted at all RHAs
18:20and then within private hospitals. Meanwhile Minister Hussein defended government's move to increase
18:27some of the fees associated with the registration of births and deaths which take effect today.
18:34When you look at the cost that for the preparation of a one birth certificate because of the security
18:40features of that document those birth certificates are specially ordered they have to get to Trinidad they
18:46have to be printed. We have staff to check the validity of the information before the certificate
18:51is printed and therefore it was a subsidized cost by the state. In fact the cost with the increase
18:58still includes some sort of a subsidy for those birth certificates. Cindy Ragubantika Singh, TV6 News.
19:07Sport is up next. Keep it here.
19:09And now for a look at sport. Red Force coach Riyad Emerit is hoping for more consistency from his
19:21players when the new season begins. Having said that he's putting heavy emphasis on the batting.
19:28The regional four-day season is soon to begin with teams making preparations for it. That includes Trinidad
19:35and Tobago Red Force under coach Riyad Emerit who took over from David Furlong last year. Emerit says he
19:41wants another solid display from the batters. One of the objectives we have this season is for our
19:47batters to be as consistent as they were last year and even more consistent. I thought you know our
19:55fast bowling department with Jaden and Andy when they played were very very good. Hopefully we'll have
20:02them for for the entire season. We look forward to that but yeah our our consistency with our batting
20:09were good last year and they're just hoping that we can continue that this year. And he also pinpoints
20:16the players who can make it happen. That includes veteran Jason Mohamed who led the table in 2025 with
20:22679 runs at an average of 75.44. It was Jason Mohamed who you know held it together for most of the
20:31season scoring the most runs. Our captain Joshua De Silva was really really good as well and if we
20:37could get those two going as well as Django, Jed Gulli and Seifers Cooper you know we we hoping that they would
20:49pile the runs as well. The spinners too cannot be left out. After all Emerit sees them as playing
20:55important roles for TNT during the new four day season. Kari Pierre was excellent for us in the
21:01spin department. Brian Charles didn't have the best of tournaments but you know we know how good he is
21:07as well as Yannick Karaya so we're hoping that you know these guys could continue but yeah we we just
21:13want to be consistent in all departments batting bowling and feeling and when i say consistent consistently good.
21:19Team Red Force finished third last year and Emerit hopes to improve on that in 2026.
21:26Vinod Nawani, TV6 Sport.
21:28And that's a wrap on the past seven days on six. I am Vanessa Cutting. If you didn't catch this
21:34segment in its entirety you can find it on our website www.tv6tnt.com and you can find all these
21:42stories and more on the TV6 mobile app. Thanks for choosing TV6 and do have a great evening.
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