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Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is surrounded by children at the PNM's children's Christmas treat at Balisier House, Port of Spain on December 21. - Photo by Sean DouglasOPPOSITION LEADER Pennelope Beckles has chided Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for alleged disrespect shown towards Caricom.
Beckles spoke to reporters at the PNM's children's Christmas treat at Balisier House, Port of Spain, on December 21.
In a news release on December 20, Persad-Bissessar said Caricom is an “unreliable partner” and a “dysfunctional and self-destructive” organisation.
She made the statement in response to a statement by the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, which called for engagement between the US, after US President Donald Trump imposed policies in place to further restrict and limit the entry of people from Haiti, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda into the US.
Persad-Bissessar on December 21 responded to questions from Newsday, via WhatsApp, alleging Caricom to be pro-Nicolas Maduro and saying her government wanted no part of his allegedly dictatorial regime in Venezuela.
Beckles said the US has always respected TT having an independent voice included TT's non-participation in the 1983 US invasion of Grenada (where a rebel faction of the government murdered another faction led by the PM Maurice Bishop who had taken power in a bloodless coup in 1979.)
She was flanked by Opposition Senator Dr Amery Browne, a former minister of foreign affairs.
Distancing TT from a recent Caricom complaint of US restrictions on passport holders from Antigua and Barbuda (which offers citizenship by investment), Persad-Bissessar had said each sovereign state was responsible for its foreign and domestic policy. Saying TT was not bound to the political ideologies or foreign, economic and security policies of any other Caricom member, she said, "Member governments are free to make decisions in the best interests of their citizens. Caricom is not a reliable partner at this time."
Newsday has sought Beckles' views after the PM's comments were hotly chided by former PM Dr Keith Rowley and questioned by Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Browne but stoutly defended by Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath.
Beckles said, "Clearly from the statements of the honourable prime minister, which I deem reckless, we are very concerned. At the end of the day, Caricom has always supported us."
She said the PM's recent remarks echoed her remarks in first administration that TT was not an ATM machine for the Caribbean.
Beckles said, "You have to link both. I would hate to think the honourable prime minister does not recognise that TT does not want to be isolated.
"At the end of the day it is not just about narco trafficking. It is about everything – tourism, natural disasters, every single thing you think about.
"It is about music, it is about culture, it is about calypso, it is about pan, it is about chutney, it is every single thing.
"When we think about Caricom we understand the importance of us being stronger as a region."
Beckles reflected on the experience of herself and Browne as diplomats. "We know that when Caricom speaks we have always been associated with punching above our weight.
"Yes, we are a small country but the sovereignty issue is very important. TT, Guyana, Antigua and Jamaica, at the end of the day at the UN, we all have a vote."
She invited observations from Browne, who fully endorsed her "very wise words."
He alleged that Persad-Bissessar has a long history of not showing support to Caricom.
Browne said, "This is the first time this country has had a PM who is overtly against the Caribbean Community." He alleged the PM had long laid that foundation since the August general election.
"She refused to attend the heads of government meeting.
"She has been attacking the zone of peace consistently and is now referring to Caricom as an unreliable partner and talking about Caricom imploding. The only thing imploding is the PM of TT."
Browne said exchanges now occurring in the public domain were unprecedented.
"Every PM we have ever had, including Basdeo Panday, have been regionalists.
"When the PM (Persad-Bissessar) speaks in the manner she has chosen to speak in, she is not speaking for our society and the right-thinking people of this country.
"We understand Caricom, we appreciate its value and we were founding members."
Browne alleged the PM was now attacking Caricom including its bureau which he earlier told Newsday consisted on current, former and incoming chairmen of Caricom.
He chided, "It is a shame and a disgrace and the countries of this region deserve better."
Beckles interjected, "I want to assure the people of TT that the opposition is very responsible.
"Any impression that is being given that we (opposition) have some particular issue with the US, that position is absolutely false." She said TT is a democracy, just as the US is a democracy.
"From time to time you would have different views.
"But I want to tell the PM of TT to be very careful telling the people of TT to 'behave yourselves'. When you start going down that road, clearly that is dictatorship."
She said TT nationals have the right to have a different view and have always had that right, and the fact the government now held office did not mean they should tell people to behave themselves.
"And that is totally out of order for her to be doing that because it means she does not recognise what democracy means.
"The people of TT, particularly those who voted, are not little children. And they are paying very close attention to what is taking place."
She said people were watching TT, Caricom, Venezuela and the US. Citizens have the right to ask questions and the PM has a duty of accountability, Beckles said.
"You don't have the right to tell us to behave ourselves."
Newsday asked if the government may realise where its bread is buttered and so has the right to prioritise newer and bigger friends (US) over older, smaller friends (Caricom).
Beckles replied, "At the end of the day if you look at it, yes the US is first and foremost our largest trading partner and Caricom is second."
However she said as small as TT is, it has a vote at the UN like any other country.
"We are very clear the US understands that. They have an embassy here and they have always valued TT highly, as TT has always valued the US.
"If even you go back to Grenada, TT took a particular position. When Grenada was invaded we took a particular position.
"That was not used against us.
"We said we understand the importance of a zone of peace." TT may vote differently to the US at times at the UN, she related.
"But that does not mean we don't understand and don't value the role of the US as it relates to TT.
"Every Trinidadian and Tobagonian has some family in the US." She said the reason the US Joint Chiefs of Staff visited TT was to have discussion, because they valued TT's opinion.
"When the honourable PM went to the UN and made her statement and spoke with (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio, it is because it is all a question of listening to what we have to say.
"We understand the importance of bilateral arrangements and sovereignty."
Asked about media reports of a possible US military presence in TT, Beckles said she first would seek information before making any comment.
Persad-Bissessar, in reply to questions by Newsday, stoutly vowed to distance her government from that of Maduro.
"Caricom has aligned itself with the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned or killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him.
"TT wants no part of that alignment, we don’t support dictatorship and drug trafficking and we don’t support Caricom is their zone of peace fakery."
Persad-Bissessar said Gaston Browne and his ambassador to the US Ronald Sanders should worry less about her comments but spend more time explaining to their citizens why their visas were restricted.
"Venezuela has been threatening to invade Guyana for years and since last June they began making similar threats that TT is a part of Venezuela.
"Yet Caricom has chosen to support the Maduro narco government through the fake zone of peace narrative which is clearly designed to get the American military to leave the Caribbean region and therefore enable Maduro to remain as dictator in Venezuela.
"My priority is the best interests of the citizens of TT."
English (US) ·