Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 17/Nov 09:15

Battle to save nation needs a joint effort

THE EDITOR: I was prompted to write this letter in the wake of the riots that killed 31 prisoners in Ecuador, a country sandwiched between two alleged drug-producing nations, Peru and Colombia. The gangs involved in the prison violence were Los Cheneros and Los Lobos. So severe were the riots that guns, knives and explosives were discovered in the aftermath. Daniel Noboa, the 37-year-old president of Ecuador, has aligned his country with US President Donald Trump and has cemented plans to erect a prominent American presence in the town of Manta with a US military base. The base once existed but was removed by a former president. Some similarities exist between Ecuador and TT. For instance, TT is used as a hub for drugs export, gangs are fighting for turf and dominance, and the Prime Minister has aligned herself with Trump on drug interdiction. TT also has prison gangs, equipped with sophisticated cell phones that are purportedly used to instruct gang members on the outside to deal with anyone who stands in their way. Hayden Forde, the new person in charge of prisons, may be able to tell us why his jails permit internet connections and when he plans to discontinue it? I think the onus lies on both the homeland security minister and the acting prisons commissioner to be more proactive. The Prime Minister is squarely standing in the line of fire since she has declared that she is hell-bent on preventing the flow of drugs into TT. She stands firm on her partnership with the US and, for all those naysayers, I believe it would be ludicrous for her to appease Caricom and neglect the welfare of her citizens. The battle to save this nation is deemed of utmost importance. It appears to require a concerted effort of the homeland security minister, the police commissioner, and the acting prisons commissioner. JAY RAKHAR New York The post Battle to save nation needs a joint effort appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.