ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has reiterated his call for his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to “produce the evidence” that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including Antigua and Barbuda, has aligned itself with “the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator” in Venezuela.
In the latest spat between the two regional leaders, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar reiterated her condemnation of the 15-member regional grouping, saying CARICCOM is supporting Maduro, “who has imprisoned or killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him.
“Trinidad and Tobago wants no part of that alignment. We don’t support dictatorship and drug trafficking, and we don’t support CARICOM in their zone of peace fakery.
“Gaston and Ronald Sanders should worry less about my comments and spend more time explaining to their citizens as to why their visas were restricted,” she said in her latest post on X.
But in a statement on Facebook, Prime Minister Browne said, “We never sought the support or solidarity of CARICOM, or Trinidad & Tobago on the issue with the United States, we resolved the problem on our own volition.
“However, we were dismayed by the gaslighting of the issue by the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, who falsely stated that we have been “badmouthing” the United States,” Browne said, adding, “That is an outright lie; I challenge her once again to produce the evidence.
Last week, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar in a warning to her fellow citizens spoke against “bad-talking” Washington when thousands of Trinidad and Tobago nationals have US visas “because people like to go and visit the US” and that this country remained in partnership with the US and more so if Trinidad and Tobago were to be attacked, “who will stand up to defend us?”.
“Careful, you don’t end up like Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica… badmouthing the US and guess what happened…all their visas rescinded now,” she told those attending the ruling United National Congress (UNC) Christmas Supper at the Diplomatic Centre.
But Browne said that “no evidence has been offered because none exists,” to support the statement by the Trinidad and Tobago leader.
In her statement, Persad-Bissessar said that Venezuela has been threatening to invade Guyana for years. Since last June, they began making similar threats that Trinidad and Tobago 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 in the best interests of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” she added.
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