Movement For Social Justice Calls For Appointment of Special Envoy to Deal With Venezuela-Trinidad Conflict

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The left-leaning Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) has called on the Trinidad and Tobago government to appoint a special envoy to deal with the allegations made by Venezuela regarding Port of Spain being used as a launching pad for seeking to overthrow the Nicolas Maduro government in Venezuela.

MSJ leader, David Abdulah, speaking at the party’s weekly virtual news conference, said also that Port of Spain should engage in “back room” diplomacy given that the country does not at the moment have any appointed ambassador to the South American country.

In addition, Abdulah is urging the population to not dismiss as a “flight of fancy” the involvement of Colombians in the alleged attempt at overthrowing the Madura government as claimed by Caracas last week.

“First of all we want to  state that the approach by the Trinidad and Tobago government  was not a well advised one and as several people have stated what ought to have happened was a quiet back room diplomacy after the first statement by President Maduro and that simply could have been a reach out through the diplomatic channels to try to ascertain what information, evidence what information and what evidence the Venezuelan authorities in fact have,” Abdulah told reporters.

Last Friday, the Venezuela government expressed “its profound surprise at the irate and unjustified reaction” of the Trinidad and Tobago government in response to what it termed as  “ a legitimate complaint”  by President Maduro about the attempts to overthrow his administration by mercenaries using Trinidad and Tobago.

“Venezuela has captured criminals of Trinidadian origin, who have confessed their plans, statements that have been duly supported with compelling evidence presented by the competent authorities,”  Caracas said in a statement.

Last Thursday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said that it took  “very seriously” threats being made by Venezuela to track down any person outside of the South American country in

She told a post Cabinet news conference that she had also been aware of statements made by Venezuelan Justice Minister, Diosdado Cabello, that a Trinidad and Tobago national was involved in “terrorist activities” aimed at destabilizing Venezuela earlier this week.

Cabello has since identified the Trinidadian national as “Gis Kendel Jheron,”  and repeated accusations made by President Maduro that “terrorists” including Colombians, had used Trinidad and Tobago as a launching pad in the bid to destabilize the Venezuelan government.

Cabello has vowed to pursue anyone attempting to destabilize Venezuela, saying “there must be justice.

“We are going after the gangs, wherever they are and wherever they are. Together, we will guarantee peace in this country,” he said.

But Prime Minister Persad Bissessar told reporters that there was no evidence to support the comments made by Cabello, adding “today I want to make it very clear to the Venezuelan government and officials that they can do whatever they want on Venezuelan territory, but they cannot come here.

Trinidad and Tobago police say that the person named by Cabello had not appeared in the country’s criminal database.

Abdulah, a former veteran trade unionist, who at one time had been part of the People’s Partnership government that was headed by Persad Bissessar during 2010-15, told reporters that Colombians have been indicated in various attempts at destabilizing governments in the region, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM.

He said Colombians had been detained following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, as well as previous attempts at assassinating Muduro himself with the help of the United States.

“The point I am making therefore is that there has been a history of links with Colombia and mercenaries and right wing efforts to not only  engage in acts of  terrorism in Venezuela  but elsewhere in the region, including the CARICOM member state of Haiti  and that a number of these were organized out of Miami.

“I make this point to say that when the government of Venezuela makes a statement about Colombians being involved or captured in Venezuela, heavily armed we should not take that as a flight of fancy but against the background that there have been such attempts before, and therefore for some commentators to suggest that this was a false flag…because President Maduro is under pressure…we have to take a more serious view of things”.

Abdulah told reporters that the statement by Prime Minister Persad Bissessar has “unfortunately in a sense backed the government of Trinidad and Tobago into a corner, because she has categorically said that deadly force would be used, made reference to migrants now being under scrutiny in Trinidad and Tobago…

“She has said we will not be drawn by Venezuela into  weakening our relationship with the United States and we not sure why that statement was made because the issue of what was alleged to have taken place in Venezuela ought to be resolved by the government of Trinidad and Tobago and the government of  Venezuela”.,

Abdulah said given the fact that the new government which came to office following the April 28 general election here has recalled all ambassadors, what is required now “is a certain amount of skillful diplomacy.

‘What the MSJ is proposing as a way forward…we are proposing that the government appoints a special envoy, a special emissary who will have the ability and skill and relationship building capacity to engage the government of Venezuela at the high level and therefore to have the confidence of the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

“This person now ought not to be at the level of one of our ministers because after the prime minister has spoken it is difficult for one of the Cabinet members to engage and take a position that is different from that articulated by the prime minister’

Abdulah said that the special envoy should have experience in engage “in a diplomatic initiative of a slightly different form not necessarily going through embassies and so on, but someone who could get and have a very open discussion with the authorities in Venezuela.”

He said that the emissary or envoy can “ascertain first hand information speaking with the person or persons who are Trinidad and Tobago citizens according to the Venezuelans  government and therefore clearly ascertaining the truth about that situation as to  whether or not Trinidad and Tobago nationals (were) involved in this military excursion”.