Senior Investigative Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
Olive Green-Jack, who was detained for 81 days under the State of Emergency (SoE) for her social media post calling on Venezuela to attack the Prime Minister at her private residence in South Trinidad, says she has learnt her lesson.
“If I had guidance, that statement would have never made social media,” Green-Jack told the Sunday Guardian yesterday, at her Petit Valley home, shortly after her release from the Women’s Prison in Arouca.
It was her first time that the 44-year-old woman was imprisoned.
Up to the time of her release, her three children had not seen her, as they were at work and out.
During the almost three months Green-Jack spent in jail, her husband Cliff Green stood at her side.
She was one of 117 detainees under the SoE who were released from prison between Friday and yesterday, after the SoE came to an end on January 31.
Green-Jack was not charged after her release.
A detention order, which was signed on November 12, stated that Green-Jack “made and published public posts and/or comments on social media addressed to the Venezuelan Government in an attempt to influence public opinion in a manner likely to be prejudicial to public safety.”
The order added that the post and comments invited violence on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and members of the public by Venezuela and/or external persons, which revealed “an imminent threat to public safety.”
The post, which was made on social media on November 2, was pulled down by Green-Jack after heavy criticism.
Green-Jack’s social media comments came while Venezuelan and Government officials in this country were engaged in back-and-forth comments. Venezuelan politicians were taking issue with the Government’s support of US military action in the region against alleged narco-traffickers, which Caracas said was a ruse to invade Venezuela.
Yesterday, she said she deeply regretted making the post.
“What I’d like to say is that I’m very sorry for putting her (Persad-Bissessar) life in danger. It didn’t mean the way it came out. And as I said, if I had known that it was such a dangerous thing... putting her and her Cabinet members at risk with what was going on with Venezuela and Donald Trump, I would not have done it.”
“If I had known that it would have caused that kind of scenario, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Green-Jack admitted she “didn’t know better. It was not done intentionally at all.”
She promised to stay clear of social media, stating that if she had to make a post again, she would first seek legal advice.
“You have to know the legal things you can do and what you cannot do.”
Green-Jack also advised bloggers to be careful of what they post, stating that “what might be a joke for somebody, it might be putting somebody’s life in danger, like how I did it...so I wouldn’t advise anybody to just say what they feel.”
Smiling from ear-to-ear, Green-Jack said, “I am happy to be home.”
The mother of three described her time at the Women’s Prison as a learning experience.
“I learned a lot. And behind bars you have to pray a lot...to keep strong... because is not everybody could go through that. You have to learn to get yourself in order. It’s not like you’re in a five-star hotel.”
Green-Jack said her biggest challenge in prison was sleeping at night.
But she said God was her comfort and solace.
