Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 30/12/2025 05:26

All our eggs in one basket

THE EDITOR: My concern with the US narco-terrorism charges against Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro is that they have never been substantiated. The evidence, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, is that 95 per cent of drugs reaching the US pass on the Pacific seaboard and originate in Colombia, Ecuador and Honduras. And, strangely, earlier this month the US released convicted Honduran narco-trafficker and ex-president Juan Hernandez from a US jail. He had been convicted of trafficking 400 tons of cocaine into the US. It is therefore worrisome to think the US might be using "drugs" as a cover for regime change to capture Venezuelan oil. And the US placing a military grade radar in Tobago and hijacking oil tankers leaving Venezuela suggest there is more to this than "narcotics." Pushing away Caricom and parroting the US line destroys TT's relationship with everyone but the US. If the US does not succeed in regime change in Venezuela, where does that leave our country with all our neighbours but isolated? As for ordinary Trinidadians/Tobagonians, I fear that sometimes we are "colour blinded" by "red" and "yellow" and we do not see the "red, white and black" anymore, especially in these dangerous times. While I don't think we are in any direct danger from the US because they largely control our oil and gas, I would hate very much for our people to be in harm's ways if Venezuela fights back. What if the US sinks a Venezuelan military boat escorting one of their tankers, and the Venezuelans react by shooting at US boats, and also see the Tobago radar as a legitimate target? What if the purpose of the Tobago radar is for the US to track and intercept any firepower coming from Venezuela? It is all very troubling! I really wish we had just said "no" and remained neutral. I understand that our PM must be under considerable pressure from the US, as well as from some of those new individuals who recently joined the UNC, and who had been calling for regime change in Venezuela as far back as 2019, when US mercenaries made a failed attempt. In any event, Happy New Year to all. CATHAL HEALY-SINGH Curepe The post All our eggs in one basket appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.