A thorough investigation is now needed into the killing of two T&T fishermen by the US bombing of a boat in which they were allegedly crossing from Venezuela to this country.
Who exactly were the two citizens of T&T, what were they doing in Venezuela, has it been a habitual going back and forth between the two neighbouring countries less than 10 miles apart, and for what purposes, who are their relatives, does the T&T Police Service have any information on them as persons “known to the police,” or are they indeed upright citizens without criminal blemishes?
The pursuit and acquisition of such information is critical, as the results may firmly establish that there are T&T citizens who are part of the drug trafficking ring between and among Venezuela, one that perhaps stretches to other South American countries, the United States and Europe and the implications of such linkages. Or have they been victims of geo-political intrigue and bloody violence?
But it does not stop there. A thorough investigation deeply involves the reputation and standing of our Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her known, often vigorous support for US President Donald Trump with her “kill them violently” rhetoric in this matter.
If the investigations were to find the two T&T nationals to have been involved in the narcotics trade and perhaps gun running, there will be a measure—only a measure—of vindication for Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s stance with the US President and government on eliminating the illegal traders. If, however, it turns out that the two nationals were in no way involved in drug trafficking and that the boat was not one used in the trade, Mrs Persad-Bissessar will have to answer to citizens here for her unquestioning support of the US President in the killing of her own citizens.
If the latter turns out to be the case, her capacity for making such decisions and back-up statements, as she did, will surely call into question her leadership qualities at the highest international levels of inter-state relations.
But even if it turns out that the T&T nationals were in what was deemed a drug boat involved in transporting narcotics into the US and Europe, there remain questions to be asked and answered about what is required in international law for such deadly action to be legal.
Moreover, since the killing of the persons was indisputably in the national waters of either Venezuela or T&T, that brings into contention the question as to whether it is legal under international law for a country to simply blow up a vessel passing through the national waters of two countries and make the claim that it was a drug boat, and so that gives the country the right to eliminate persons without trial and conviction.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar owes the country a solid rationale for her statements in deep support and applauding of the action of the US government.
The investigation into finding out if the two nationals were involved in drug trafficking should be taken on independently by the T&T Police Service, with members of the media also playing our part in uncovering the truth.