Ambassador of the Republic of Venezuela Maria Eugenia Marcano Casado says that she is not fearful of the people in T&T and hopes the two countries can work together for their development. Casado toured east Port-of-Spain for more than an hour last Friday, greeting and meeting vendors, shoppers and passers-by. The tour was organised by community activist Lennox Smith of the group, Laventille for Laventilleans. Smith told the media that east Port-of-Spain was not about murders, drugs and guns but industrious people.
He said her presence was to demonstrate to the world that the advisories issued against T&T were contrary to what had been reported. Smith said when people like the ambassador visited the country, based on their "rich and rewarding experiences," they could return to their countries and "make a proper assessment." Asked to comment on what she had seen on George, Nelson and Duncan streets, Casado said: "Let me explain to you that for me Port-of-Spain is very familiar, but sometimes because of my busy agenda, I pass some places and so many beautiful faces, so many beautiful people and I just don't have the opportunity to greet them and to see their own humanity in their eyes and their hearts."
She said her purpose was "to interchange with the real people."
Casado said in Venezuela, there was participatory democracy where people were "at the central." She said: "I cannot say that I have fear of my brothers and sisters of Trinidad." She said appropriate mechanisms must be used to solve problems when they arose. She also assured that the six Trinidadian nationals who were arrested had returned home last Monday, but were expected to return to Venezuela to prove their citizenship and ownership of the vessel. Casado said the situation would be resolved.