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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar speaks with the media outside the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, on November 4. - Photo by Alva Viarruel PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has advised TT fishermen to stay within the country's maritime boundaries amid concerns over US missile strikes on boats in the Southern Caribbean in its operations tackling drug trafficking. Since September 2, the US has killed at least 60 people in missile strikes on alleged drug-transporting vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific.
Local fishermen have expressed fear over the situation and said they are worried about going far out to sea. US president Donald Trump has also said some fishermen are scared to go to sea following the bombings.
After a special sitting at the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough on November 4, Persad-Bissessar told the media, "I saw some international media said that TT is a nation of fishermen. Nothing is further from the truth. We have fishermen but we have industries and other forms of income.
"The impression is being made that fishermen from TT are being bombed out of the sea. What are you doing out there? Why are you so far out there? Why don't you stay in your zone? Stay in TT waters and you will be safe."
She said TT is not part of any war, but drug traffickers should be the ones concerned.
“Trinidad is not a target. Tobago is not a target. So I totally disagree with the narrative out there by some that we are exposing our nationals to danger...
"There is no war. TT is not a target. The targets are narco-traffickers, gun-runners, human traffickers – those are our targets.”
She said she has no evidence that tourism was being affected, noting there were thousands of visitors to the Tobago carnival just over a week ago.
She claimed the prices for illegal drugs in Trinidad are increasing “because we are hitting them where it hurts the most, in their pockets.”
Persad-Bissessar also responded to claims that TT wants to cut ties with Caricom.
“We remain members of Caricom. I have no intention, as the Prime Minister of our country and the head of my government, of leaving Caricom. So there is always some mischief there.
“What I did say, and I repeat, is that we should also look to others in the international arena. So for example, we are looking to the UAE (United Arab Emirates), we are looking to Qatar, looking to Bahrain, we are looking to Europe. We cannot keep closed doors and expect things to change.”
She said Caricom will remain as a bloc but TT must “open our wings” to get investors.
“We have to fly. We have to go elsewhere. We have to get investors. Caricom may have investors but they need investors just as we do.”
Persad-Bissessar said TT is the only Caricom state that still has investment grade ratings.
“That is a very important factor and that is what I am looking for. I am looking for investment to develop Trinidad and develop Tobago. And when we grow, others will grow in Caricom as well.
“We have our banks elsewhere. We have a lot of our manufacturers shipping things out to other members of Caricom. We have to rise together.
“We have no intention of leaving Caricom. What we do have are differences of opinion. And as human being beings we always have at times, differences of opinion. That has happened in the past and it will happen again.”
Caricom member states have criticised TT’s support of US military actions targeting drug cartels in Caribbean waters. They have called for the region to remain a zone of peace.
However, Persad-Bissessar has said there will be no peace once drug traffickers are allowed to continue unchecked.
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