Former Trinidadian Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is taking a leaf out of the political playbook of US president-elect Donald Trump by vowing to deport Venezuelan migrants involved in felony crime, contending that the twin island republic with Tobago is already reeling from serious crimes committed by local gangs.
Her statements at a local political meeting this week and subsequent clarifications offered to the public have triggered obvious comparisons with Trump, with commentators and government officials saying she is using the same scaremongering tactics of Trump and the Republican party that was on display during the recent presidential elections.
Persad-Bissessar lashed out at elements in the Venezuelan community in the wake of the murder of 69-year-old national Winston Thomas of South Trinidad, who police reports say was kidnapped, tortured, and fatally stabbed to the heart by alleged Venezuelan gangsters.
Capitalizing on the outrage from the murder this week, the leader of the United National Congress (UNC) said she would use any means necessary to deport Venezuelans involved in criminal activity, just as Trump has vowed, saying the country has enough worries with violent crime.
“The time has come to take action against Venezuelan migrants who are committing crimes daily against our citizens. Today, I make it clear. If the Venezuelan migrant community does not get their act in order and desist from engaging in criminal conduct, begin assisting the police service in identifying Venezuelan criminals, and integrate peacefully into our society, my incoming government will take aggressive action against all illegal Venezuelan migrants and deport every one of them to their homeland by any means necessary,” she said, triggering a wave of condemnation from politicians on the other side of the political divide.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Amery Browne said he was amazed at Persad-Bissessar’s latest position: ” The Ministry of National Security has continuously been deporting Venezuelan nationals who break the laws of T&T while they are here. Now, the opposition leader is contradicting her previous positions in a grand public announcement to say that she will do what is already being done.”
Official figures have put the Venezuelan migrant population at more than 40,000 as many risk drowning by hopping on boats across the seven-mile Gulf of Paria stretch of water between the two neighbors to make it to Trinidad, fleeing economic and other hardships by home. Guyana, which also neighbors Venezuela, also has thousands of migrants, an increasing number of whom have been charged with felony crimes by police as well.
Minister of National Security Fitz Hinds, meanwhile, also rushed to condemn her statements, deeming them as “unfortunate and inflammatory” and “a reckless outburst. We have, for a very long time, deported migrants who infringe the laws of TT. While it is important to continue to address violent crime to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors, the opposition leader’s aggressive and ‘politicking’ rant, against Venezuelan migrants in particular, risks creating further misunderstanding and xenophobia, leading to deeper social divisions and possible violent attacks, on this community of persons, here in TT.”
And adding a sarcastic twist to the debate, Persad-Bissessar said that the government “would have the population believe the Spanish-speaking men responsible for murdering Mr. Thomas were more likely to be Xavi, Iniesta, and Fabregas and not Venezuelan migrants,” referring to famed Spanish national footballers. “Mr. Winston Thomas had an unpleasant interaction last week with Venezuelan migrants before he was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by three Spanish-speaking men.”
