Should Venezuelan refugees be allowed to live in T&T?

[timelapse]

Stand up how exactly? Protesting during Covid kinda outta timing..

[MaxPower]

Stand up how exactly? Protesting during Covid kinda outta timing..

Hello timelapse,

Hope all is well and i would be delighted to answer your question.

Permit me to reiterate that Trinis have let their guard down decades upon decades ago. What was once a “Sweet T&T” and a “paradise” is NO more as the Trinidadian mentality/culture has been direly devastating.

Immigrants saw our land, saw our country and they wanted to be a part of it. Trinis were supposed be at a stage where NO outsiders could have even dreamed of coming to our country and dominating in many cases. But Trinis became bobolees and mooks even up to date as immigrants of all natures freely came and did exactly what they wanted.....and the Govt and the people allowed it.

They allowed it as prominent locals within saw utterly disgustingly pathetic weakness and incompetency within their own people and as such rendered immense support to outsiders who showed the interest and potential.

Anger, hatred and jealousy emits up to this day from disgruntled locals as they feel their country was stolen from them. The Trinidadian mentality is mindset on stagnant progression and is incapable of understanding why they are outperformed by others. Anyone that does better than the average Trini is deemed a threat and an enemy.

To answer your question, Trinis MUST stand up not in short span protests but by changing their attitude and standing up to themselves. The typical Trinidadian mentality must be banished totally. Trinis must start taking their lives, families and careers alot seriously.

I say again, NO outsider is supposed to come to OUR society and NOT feel intimidated by Trinis. We are supposed to make others know that to use our resources you must perform as good as us. Unfortunately this is not the case as the image we currently portray is badly faded and signifies a neglected country and a free for ALL who are seeing opportunities that the people of a country blatantly disregard.

This “we outside”, “fully active”, “R is the code” and stupid “6” symbols over the right eye just isnt cutting it.

[timelapse]

I see, thats the folks in the category that I don't belong to talking about.My job safe from them, so no jealousy there.But speaking for myself, there is a bit of concern about the unknown.These are strangers in our lands.The devil you know is always safer than the one that you don't know

Stand up how exactly? Protesting during Covid kinda outta timing..

Hello timelapse,

Hope all is well and i would be delighted to answer your question.

Permit me to reiterate that Trinis have let their guard down decades upon decades ago. What was once a “Sweet T&T” and a “paradise” is NO more as the Trinidadian mentality/culture has been direly devastating.

Immigrants saw our land, saw our country and they wanted to be a part of it. Trinis were supposed be at a stage where NO outsiders could have even dreamed of coming to our country and dominating in many cases. But Trinis became bobolees and mooks even up to date as immigrants of all natures freely came and did exactly what they wanted.....and the Govt and the people allowed it.

They allowed it as prominent locals within saw utterly disgustingly pathetic weakness and incompetency within their own people and as such rendered immense support to outsiders who showed the interest and potential.

Anger, hatred and jealousy emits up to this day from disgruntled locals as they feel their country was stolen from them. The Trinidadian mentality is mindset on stagnant progression and is incapable of understanding why they are outperformed by others. Anyone that does better than the average Trini is deemed a threat and an enemy.

To answer your question, Trinis MUST stand up not in short span protests but by changing their attitude and standing up to themselves. The typical Trinidadian mentality must be banished totally. Trinis must start taking their lives, families and careers alot seriously.

I say again, NO outsider is supposed to come to OUR society and NOT feel intimidated by Trinis. We are supposed to make others know that to use our resources you must perform as good as us. Unfortunately this is not the case as the image we currently portray is badly faded and signifies a neglected country and a free for ALL who are seeing opportunities that the people of a country blatantly disregard.

This “we outside”, “fully active”, “R is the code” and stupid “6” symbols over the right eye just isnt cutting it.

[MaxPower]

I see, thats the folks in the category that I don't belong to talking about.My job safe from them, so no jealousy there.But speaking for myself, there is a bit of concern about the unknown.These are strangers in our lands.The devil you know is always safer than the one that you don't know

Stand up how exactly? Protesting during Covid kinda outta timing..

Hello timelapse,

Hope all is well and i would be delighted to answer your question.

Permit me to reiterate that Trinis have let their guard down decades upon decades ago. What was once a “Sweet T&T” and a “paradise” is NO more as the Trinidadian mentality/culture has been direly devastating.

Immigrants saw our land, saw our country and they wanted to be a part of it. Trinis were supposed be at a stage where NO outsiders could have even dreamed of coming to our country and dominating in many cases. But Trinis became bobolees and mooks even up to date as immigrants of all natures freely came and did exactly what they wanted.....and the Govt and the people allowed it.

They allowed it as prominent locals within saw utterly disgustingly pathetic weakness and incompetency within their own people and as such rendered immense support to outsiders who showed the interest and potential.

Anger, hatred and jealousy emits up to this day from disgruntled locals as they feel their country was stolen from them. The Trinidadian mentality is mindset on stagnant progression and is incapable of understanding why they are outperformed by others. Anyone that does better than the average Trini is deemed a threat and an enemy.

To answer your question, Trinis MUST stand up not in short span protests but by changing their attitude and standing up to themselves. The typical Trinidadian mentality must be banished totally. Trinis must start taking their lives, families and careers alot seriously.

I say again, NO outsider is supposed to come to OUR society and NOT feel intimidated by Trinis. We are supposed to make others know that to use our resources you must perform as good as us. Unfortunately this is not the case as the image we currently portray is badly faded and signifies a neglected country and a free for ALL who are seeing opportunities that the people of a country blatantly disregard.

This “we outside”, “fully active”, “R is the code” and stupid “6” symbols over the right eye just isnt cutting it.

Such strong and truthful words...

[matr1x]

There are lawyers demanding source of funds for venes if they contracting services. This after central bank sent a circular warning of Venezuelan nationals presenting fake currency

[MaxPower]

There are lawyers demanding source of funds for venes if they contracting services. This after central bank sent a circular warning of Venezuelan nationals presenting fake currency

Slim,

Again, send your source of information or stop spreading fake news bro.

Didnt we speak about this already bro?

[daring dragoon]

When Venezuelan migrant Darilis Martinez, 27, left her country she was working as a police officer in Tucupita. She had also recently completed a university degree in computer engineering at la Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Fuerzas Armadas in Caracas.

In 2019, she paid a boat captain US$300 to transport her and her then six-year-old daughter to Trinidad, a desperate attempt to search for a life that seemed better than the hunger, unemployment and illness that surrounded her in Tucupita.

The decision was not an easy one to make. She was a police officer. She knew she was breaking the law.

She also knew the monthly food quota she was allowed was not enough for her aged parents as well as her husband, daughter and herself. Her father had cardiac issues and could not work and though healthy, she couldn't work either. There were no jobs.

In her village, people talked about escaping to Trinidad. Some, who had already left, sent food and money back to relatives. In Martinez' mind, Venezuela presented an impossible situation and Trinidad showed possibility. Her husband got a job at a food truck, working with a friend he knew from Venezuela.

Martinez worked job after job until she, her husband and his friend Eduardo Rivas decided to open their own business. They decided on a food truck near where they lived in Arima.

They saved for months until they could pay someone to construct the food truck. When it was finished, they called it Davier's Grill, after her son who was born in Trinidad six months ago.

When they opened on November 30, it represented a new beginning for them.

vene open business in trinidad. a food cart cost about $40000.00 - $60000.00 average, the chiller alone is about $4000.00. plus a gyro machine, florescent lighting inside, that is not a cheap cart. save that money plus sending money to venezuela and taking care of your self and a child is not possible. a 6 mth child alone cost about $1000.00 a month. them hadda be selling something on the side. how come immigration dont send them back? how come they get a food badge if they cant speak english?
a trini born here could never pull this off and get support from other trinis but is sure trinis does support a lil light skin vene selling anything.

[bluefete]

Notice how clean the place is?

[MaxPower]

When Venezuelan migrant Darilis Martinez, 27, left her country she was working as a police officer in Tucupita. She had also recently completed a university degree in computer engineering at la Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Fuerzas Armadas in Caracas.

In 2019, she paid a boat captain US$300 to transport her and her then six-year-old daughter to Trinidad, a desperate attempt to search for a life that seemed better than the hunger, unemployment and illness that surrounded her in Tucupita.

The decision was not an easy one to make. She was a police officer. She knew she was breaking the law.

She also knew the monthly food quota she was allowed was not enough for her aged parents as well as her husband, daughter and herself. Her father had cardiac issues and could not work and though healthy, she couldn't work either. There were no jobs.

In her village, people talked about escaping to Trinidad. Some, who had already left, sent food and money back to relatives. In Martinez' mind, Venezuela presented an impossible situation and Trinidad showed possibility. Her husband got a job at a food truck, working with a friend he knew from Venezuela.

Martinez worked job after job until she, her husband and his friend Eduardo Rivas decided to open their own business. They decided on a food truck near where they lived in Arima.

They saved for months until they could pay someone to construct the food truck. When it was finished, they called it Davier's Grill, after her son who was born in Trinidad six months ago.

When they opened on November 30, it represented a new beginning for them.

vene open business in trinidad. a food cart cost about $40000.00 - $60000.00 average, the chiller alone is about $4000.00. plus a gyro machine, florescent lighting inside, that is not a cheap cart. save that money plus sending money to venezuela and taking care of your self and a child is not possible. a 6 mth child alone cost about $1000.00 a month. them hadda be selling something on the side. how come immigration dont send them back? how come they get a food badge if they cant speak english?
a trini born here could never pull this off and get support from other trinis but is sure trinis does support a lil light skin vene selling anything.

Hello daring dragoon,

Thank you for such a very touching and inspiring article. This really shows the ambition and determination of our beloved Venezuelans. Our locals really need to take note and realize that anything is possible with hard work even during hardships and challenging times.

$40000 for a food cart is rather exorbitant bro. I am sure they were able to cut some costs and get it done cheaper, even if it was something small before their expansion. Also note that it was 3 of them who worked tirelessly to make this goal happen.

But you are absolutely correct. The average Trini is incapable of pulling this of because of their typical lazy mentality. Trinis will quicker support Syrians, Chinese and Venezuelans because they see potential in them, an eagerness to work and provide a far better service. Trinis must do better. Don’t get me wrong, we have many hard working Trinis but we need alot more onboard with us.

Sending out a special good morning to the Martinez family and their sweet baby Davier. Welcome to our land.....you land, and thank you for blessing us with your graceful presence. Keep up the good work and i look forward to supporting your business and future developments.

[pugboy]

junk food is majority immigrants
except for doubles and even many locals hire venes to sell at their doubles branches

[matr1x]

There are lawyers demanding source of funds for venes if they contracting services. This after central bank sent a circular warning of Venezuelan nationals presenting fake currency

Slim,

Again, send your source of information or stop spreading fake news bro.

Didnt we speak about this already bro?

Law association and title clerks union

[MaxPower]

There are lawyers demanding source of funds for venes if they contracting services. This after central bank sent a circular warning of Venezuelan nationals presenting fake currency

Slim,

Again, send your source of information or stop spreading fake news bro.

Didnt we speak about this already bro?

Law association and title clerks union

Thanks bro, would you happen to have the link or would you recommend self-research?

[adnj]

There are lawyers demanding source of funds for venes if they contracting services. This after central bank sent a circular warning of Venezuelan nationals presenting fake currency

Slim,

Again, send your source of information or stop spreading fake news bro.

Didnt we speak about this already bro?

Law association and title clerks union

Venezuela has been a source of many different counterfeit currencies for a long, long time now.

Rising Dollar, Venezuela Crisis Fuel Colombia’s Counterfeit Currency Trade

Colombian authorities say the rising value of the US dollar combined with the economic crisis in neighboring Venezuela has increased the profitability of the counterfeit currency trade, shifting the dynamics of the market and attracting new players to the business.

Officials consulted by El Tiempo pointed to the rising value of real US dollars as one of the main drivers of this trend. A year ago, a dollar cost just over 2,000 Colombian pesos in the legitimate market, according to the World Bank. Today, a legitimate dollar costs more than 3,300 pesos, according to the currency conversion website XE.com.

While the value of real dollars has increased, the cost of producing fake ones has remained relatively stable, making the process significantly more lucrative for fraudsters. Colombian police sources told El Tiempo that a fake $100 bill, which would have sold for between 8,000 and 10,000 pesos (between $2.40 and $3.00) a year ago, now sells for between 15,000 and 20,000 pesos (between $4.50 and $6.00).

El Tiempo’s sources also indicated that Colombian counterfeiters are taking advantage of the ongoing economic crisis in Venezuela, where the black market for dollars has grown rapidly as the local currency, the bolívar, has plummeted in value.

In addition to counterfeiting, El Tiempo reported that other types of currency fraud have also begun to resurface in Colombia — for example, the “Nigerian dollar” scam, which involves swindlers selling ink-stained false bills and instructing their victims to buy a bogus “cleaning solution” from a confederate.   

Julián Quintana, the director of the Technical Investigative Unit of the Colombian Attorney General’s office, expressed concern that the increasing profitability of counterfeiting had led to a reactivation of previously defunct criminal networks, some of which might have been partially displaced to nearby countries like Peru, Ecuador and Argentina by prior enforcement actions.

https://insightcrime.org/news/brief/col ... la-crisis/

[MaxPower]

If it’s one thing, our colleague and team member “adnj” sure does his research.

[timelapse]

I reported those fine folks across the street for their sickening levels of noise last night yet again.This is the first time that they actually came.They said to expect a regular patrol from now on, and supposed to pass back with immigration officials.Well done Freeport police.

If it’s one thing, our colleague and team member “adnj” sure does his research.

[MaxPower]

I reported those fine folks across the street for their sickening levels of noise last night yet again.This is the first time that they actually came.They said to expect a regular patrol from now on, and supposed to pass back with immigration officials.Well done Freeport police.

If it’s one thing, our colleague and team member “adnj” sure does his research.

Hello timelapse,

I am happy you are getting some headway with your reports.

We must get the very few bad apples we have OUT.

In the process, let us not forget to be respectful, kind and courteous to the rest of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters who humbly share our land with us as they continue to contribute to our society significantly.

[timelapse]

From the convo with the officer last night,that kinda behavior getting more common in the area,or at least they getting more reports now.I still moving out though ,the place resembling Sealots now with the way they carrying on

I reported those fine folks across the street for their sickening levels of noise last night yet again.This is the first time that they actually came.They said to expect a regular patrol from now on, and supposed to pass back with immigration officials.Well done Freeport police.

If it’s one thing, our colleague and team member “adnj” sure does his research.

Hello timelapse,

I am happy you are getting some headway with your reports.

We must get the very few bad apples we have OUT.

In the process, let us not forget to be respectful, kind and courteous to the rest of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters who humbly share our land with us as they continue to contribute to our society significantly.

[De Dragon]

From the convo with the officer last night,that kinda behavior getting more common in the area,or at least they getting more reports now.I still moving out though ,the place resembling Sealots now with the way they carrying on

I reported those fine folks across the street for their sickening levels of noise last night yet again.This is the first time that they actually came.They said to expect a regular patrol from now on, and supposed to pass back with immigration officials.Well done Freeport police.

If it’s one thing, our colleague and team member “adnj” sure does his research.

Hello timelapse,

I am happy you are getting some headway with your reports.

We must get the very few bad apples we have OUT.

In the process, let us not forget to be respectful, kind and courteous to the rest of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters who humbly share our land with us as they continue to contribute to our society significantly.

There is an apartment full of them next to the little corner parlour where I purchase my papers, and they are VERY loud, from their simple speaking to each other, to the loud music when they have their frequent rum sessions.
I ask retired uncle who runs the parlour how he makes out, and he just shrugged. I let him know the TTPS have a duty to respond to this disturbance of his peace.

[MaxPower]

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

[daring dragoon]

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

that dam chutney music by caura and maracas should be banned.

[MaxPower]

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

that dam chutney music by caura and maracas should be banned.

Yep..

Trini or Vene it doesn’t matter...

This type of behavior makes many families uncomfortable and discourages them from returning.

[timelapse]

It bad from trinis yeah, no argument there, but is still Trini's country.No trini could go foreign and get on so.The illegals need to learn their place.Go back to Venezuela and get in so.

I'm willing to bet if you ever heard a Venezuelan whisper, so did your entire neighborhood..

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

that dam chutney music by caura and maracas should be banned.

Yep..

Trini or Vene it doesn’t matter...

This type of behavior makes many families uncomfortable and discourages them from returning.

In before "maxpower is the kinda guy to give earplugs to Raj music car owners to protect their hearing"

[MG Man]

[MaxPower]

It bad from trinis yeah, no argument there, but is still Trini's country.No trini could go foreign and get on so.The illegals need to learn their place.Go back to Venezuela and get in so.

I'm willing to bet if you ever heard a Venezuelan whisper, so did your entire neighborhood..

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

that dam chutney music by caura and maracas should be banned.

Yep..

Trini or Vene it doesn’t matter...

This type of behavior makes many families uncomfortable and discourages them from returning.

Hello timelapse,

I agree with you bro.

But as i said, Vene or Trini, T&T or USA, we must all learn to respect each other.

[timelapse]

Respect is a 2 way street.If I go Venezuela and carry on like a hooligan they will bury me in jail.Worse yet if I there illegally.Also add to the fact that Venezuelan police have zero problems stopping you and asking for documents, especially if you look different.
They coming into somebody else place with ghetto behavior,illegally too.Respect already went out the door

It bad from trinis yeah, no argument there, but is still Trini's country.No trini could go foreign and get on so.The illegals need to learn their place.Go back to Venezuela and get in so.

I'm willing to bet if you ever heard a Venezuelan whisper, so did your entire neighborhood..

Imagine Trinis have the audacity to talk about “disturbance of the peace” LOL.

Suddenly the boisterous behavior and loud chutney/gaza music blasting in rivers, beaches, bars and residential areas etc from inconsiderate and ignorant Trinis is okay.

Xenophobia licking allyuh up bad bad.

that dam chutney music by caura and maracas should be banned.

Yep..

Trini or Vene it doesn’t matter...

This type of behavior makes many families uncomfortable and discourages them from returning.

Hello timelapse,

I agree with you bro.

But as i said, Vene or Trini, T&T or USA, we must all learn to respect each other.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

Dr Anthony (Tony) Bryan is Professor Emeritus of International Relations at The UWI, St Augustine. This article should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the context of the relationship between Trinidad and Venezuela.

TRINIDAD, PROVINCIA DE VENEZUELA?

IS TRINIDAD a province of Venezuela? It was for a long time.

The excellent book by Trinidad and Tobago's own Dr Jesse Noel entitled Trinidad, Provincia de Venezuela,

published in 1972, tells the full story with academic integrity and flair. The island province of Trinidad was created in 1525 as part of the Spanish Empire. It was colonised by its first Spanish governor between 1529 and 1535. Its capital was San José de Oruña (known today as St Joseph). Subsequently, there were many administrative changes (too lengthy to relate here) until the province of Trinidad was re-established in 1731, and the island was then governed directly from Caracas until the British occupation of 1797. Even after the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 that recognised Trinidad as a British colony, it was governed for several decades under existing Spanish law. What was once a province of Venezuela, governed from Caracas, is today the Republic of T&T. Let us not forget our history. It can tell us a great deal about our present course and maybe our future.

From my home in Port of Spain on a clear day I can see the coast of eastern Venezuela. So too can many Trinidadians who live on the west coast of this island. Venezuela is seven miles away from our last offshore island Chacachacare, and one hour by boat. It is much closer to Port of Spain than is Tobago. Residents of the coastal agricultural and fishing village of Macuro in the Venezuelan state of Sucre, see the city lights of metropolitan Port of Spain, with its shopping and entertainment complexes, as a major attraction. It has always been their city as well.

Macuro is a long way from nowhere in Venezuela. It is on the tip of the Paria peninsula that stretches out almost to Trinidad. It can be reached by a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride from Guiria, a town deeper into the shores of the peninsula. To leave Macuro, one must take the boat back to Guiria. Venezuelan cities like Porlamar on Isla Margarita, and Puerto la Cruz in the northern part of the Peninsula, as well as Maturin, the capital of the state of Monagas, are distant places. Caracas could as well be on another planet. Residents of Macuro and Guiria cannot see those cities. Port of Spain is what they see and know and that is where they are accustomed going.

Close cousins

Of all the states in eastern Venezuela, the coastal communities of Sucre are closest to Trinidad both in geography and culture. The carnivals of Carupano (on the Caribbean coast) and Guiria are home to steelbands, calypso tents, and soca fetes. In addition to baseball and football, some residents also play a hybrid version of cricket called 'batinball'. In years past, the residents of those towns listened to Radio Trinidad or 610 Radio from Port of Spain, and they watched TTT. Many speak Trini accented English because of parental heritage. Links with Trinidad have been strong for many generations. There are relatives on both sides of the Gulf of Paria. We are siblings and close cousins, not distant strangers.

For many decades (absent a few occasions when there were fishing or maritime disputes) the citizens of T&T and Venezuela could move freely between both countries. No visas were required. Families from Guiria and Carupano would take a boat ride for a weekend to see some movies in cinemas such as Roxy and De Luxe, or fete in T&T's pre-Carnival or listen and dance to paranda (parang) at Christmas time. The Christmas parang season is a cultural asset that Trinidadians and Venezuelans still share enthusiastically. Those families from towns such as Tucupita and Pedernales in Delta Amacuro, or El Tigre in the state of Anzoátegui, had at least a fourhour trip by boat or ferry to shop in Cedros, Chaguanas and San Fernando. At one time there was a regular ship service between Trinidad and Ciudad Bolivar (known then as Angostura) on the Orinoco Delta. Ordinary folk on the Venezuelan side of the Gulf of Paria could have their cake and eat it too: live in Venezuela but shop and party in any place in Trinidad.

'I is not a Spanish!'

From the 1920s through the 1990s young Venezuelans, some with Trinidadian heritage, attended St Mary's College, Fatima College, St Joseph's Convent, or other Catholic private schools in Trinidad. They studied English in Port of Spain or San Fernando. Until about 1960 it was not unusual to hear Spanish and French Patois spoken in downtown Port of Spain, Arima, Santa Cruz, or San Fernando. Venezuelans with work permits were employed here. In the 1930s many of our Trini fathers went to Venezuela to work in the oilfields of Maracaibo. They made money and returned to Trinidad, no doubt leaving behind some Trini-Venezuelan children that many of us may have never met.

In Trinidad during those decades Venezuelans were regarded as people from the Main (aka South American Mainland), or as 'Payols' (abbreviation of español). During the 1950s the two cultures were complementary. Trinis danced to Latin music. The big Latin orchestras in Trinidad were 'Pal' Joey Lewis (from PoS) and the Dutchy Brothers (from San Fernando). Imbued with the Latin culture, some Trinis overshot the runway by trying to put Spanish hybrid endings to English words (roughly similar to the youngsters today trying to sound Jamaican).

I recall that a group of us were liming outside Fatima College after classes one day when a somewhat plain looking young lady with a lot of bravado brushed past us on the sidewalk. In an unkind moment, one of the lads said to the young lady 'Hello UGLITA' attempting to put the best spin on a yet-to-bud beauty. Furious, she turned to him and said: 'Mister, why you call me that for? I is not a Spanish!'

The movement back and forth accelerated during the 1960s through the 1990s. Before Miami became fashionable, some Trinidadians adopted Caracas (a one-hour flight) as our larger twin city. They sought surgical procedures, not available at the time in Trinidad, at the Military Hospital in Caracas. We also did in Caracas what eastern Venezuelans did in PoS. We limed, and we shopped till we dropped-at least our spouses did! The Caracas Hilton and other hotels were invariably staffed for the benefit of English-speaking guests, by Venezuelans who spoke English with heavy Trinidadian accents.

Shared interests

As recently as 1970, when T&T was having its first baptism of fire as an independent nation under threat of a military coup, a Venezuelan naval warship was stationed in the Gran Boca, ready to assist the government of T&T. I was at an academic conference at Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas when an admiral in the Venezuelan navy called me aside at the coffee break and, drawing reference to the events in T&T, told me in very precise language: 'Mira estimado profesor, Trinidad es nuestra. (Trinidad is ours).' The message was clear and direct. The Venezuelan government would never allow Trinidad to fall into the hands of any group that it considered as a threat to Venezuela. I have never forgotten that. Being aware of the realpolitik of a neighbour of 34 million persons today, seven miles away, with shared economic and natural resource interests, has always been an understated lynchpin of T&T's regional foreign policy.

During 2020, the media headlines in T&T were obsessed about the overwhelming crush of Venezuelan economic refugees entering this small country. T&T, Curacao, and Aruba were their preferred destinations. Incidentally, these are all oil producing and refining countries considered to be wealthy by Caribbean standards. The T&T government has so far given legal status to

16,000. There are perhaps another 20,000 who are non-registered in the informal economy who hope to be legalised one day. The legal status in practical terms means freedom to work, to have access to free health care in public institutions, some emergency assistance, and recourse to the caring umbrella of charitable NGOs. Consider that, if T&T were not an oil rich province as it has been for more than 110 years, with some monetary reserves that could help to support the economic refugees from a neighbour, how much more intense would the human tragedy be?

The cruel irony is that today, Venezuelan souls are lost taking that familiar boat ride from Guiria to a former Venezuelan province called Trinidad, but frequently in the pirogues of human traffickers. The government and people of Trinidad and Tobago are battling Covid-19, but in doing the right thing to help mitigate the temporary economic distress of our siblings and cousins across the Gulf of Paria, are severely criticised. Indeed, we the Trinbagonian people are shamed publicly, in the international media and in some global forums, by the opponents of the current Venezuelan regime. It is a cruel game of political chess that, in the realm of big power rivalry, is also calculated to divide our Caribbean countries.

Venezuela is still experiencing sanctions placed on the Maduro regime by punitive global powers. Venezuela's distressed economy is also in part the victim of some nebulous economic theology called '21st Century Socialism' that came to occupy a void somewhere between Simón Bolívar and Santa Claus! The Chavista economic programmes did lift some groups out of poverty, but the price of Venezuelan largesse was just too high. It was also bad management in which politics always trumped economics (pun intended).

Harnessing Venezuelan skills

In February 2021, persons still want to move back and forth legally, but circumstances have changed. Visas are required, and T&T's borders are still closed to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, and to restrain the disciples of Venezuelan gangs that seek to develop a foothold in this former province of Venezuela.

Today, many Venezuelans are fleeing economic hardships. But let us be clear. A majority intend to return to Venezuela. As Venezuela's economy improves people will go back home. (Forget the politics for the moment-that is for the Venezuelan people themselves to resolve as they always have, without our help). Some will stay in T&T because they have built careers and raised families here. That has happened with many generations past. We should hope that some of the young ones will stay, and together with our T&T young and talented, help us to reinvent our aging and low-birth-rate nation. T&T will soon be a digitised economy driven by artificial intelligence.

We need 21st century skills. Have we created a skills bank profiling the Venezuelans that are legally here? Are we just going to condemn them to low wage service occupations instead of realising that there are medical personnel, engineers, and other technical skills among the group? Can we encourage initiatives that require their skills, or even when they return home the ability to work in this digital age for Trinbago enterprises from Guiria-as easily as from Barataria or Couva? If not, I suspect that they will continue to regard Trinidad as just another former Venezuelan province--a place to shop, party and go back home to the Mainland. But things change.

Dr Anthony T Bryan is professor emeritus of International Relations at The UWI, St Augustine.

[paid_influencer]

I read that whole damn article.

I learnt two things. One, I just wasted five minutes of my life. Two, UWI really needs to close down vast swaths of their operation if that is the kind of dotishness they are producing.

[timelapse]

UWI folks live in a different reality I feel.
Dude obviously has no clue what really happened in 1962 and its future implications.If a squatter take up residence in his yard on account of his great grandfather used to live there,I wonder what would happen.Give up your property that is now legally yours to a squatter?
This is an example of what talking out of one's anus looks like

[MaxPower]

Hello Friends,

One of our Venezuelan sisters is in need of blood.

Please let us help her...i will be donating tomorrow.

People willing to help can donate via the fundraising page https://gofund.me/d5b6bddf or call Pagola's relatives at 379-0520.

https://newsday.co.tt/2021/02/23/venezu ... eds-blood/

[pugboy]

they should have a policy for the venes to be able to donate for themselves
it have enough of them here