Raphael John-Lall
Venezuela’s Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello in his latest statement about T&T is warning that T&T must not be allowed to become another Colombia, Venezuela’s South American neighbour wrecked by decades of guerilla warfare resulting in over quarter million deaths.
Cabello spoke on Tuesday during a media briefing from the Venezuelan state of Zulia where he reported on the progress of intelligence work there, which has led to the discovery of new evidence regarding terrorist plots and destabilisation plans linked to the Venezuelan opposition.
“Let us remember when the Prime Minister of T&T said they were going to use lethal force against Venezuela. The gentleman of Trinidadian origin was the one who brought the weapons from T&T. He confessed and that is what we are warning about so that T&T does not become Duque’s Colombia (Iván Duque, former Colombian president) and allow conspiracies against a neighbouring country from its waters, from its soil. We will defend ourselves against whoever it maybe, at any time,” Cabello said.
Cabello’s latest statements come after a war of words last month where he claimed that a T&T national, Guis Kendell Jerome was part of a group of mercenaries involved in illegal activities to destabilise Venezuela.
T&T’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar angrily responded saying any Venezuelan vessel entering T&T would be met with lethal force.
Cabello then called her statements “crazy.”
Despite the continuing allegations from Venezuela's Government, in a sign of goodwill, last Saturday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil presented the First Class Order of Francisco de Miranda to T&T’s outgoing Ambassador to Venezuela, Edmund Dillon, in recognition of his outstanding diplomatic work.
Dillon was appointed Ambassador to Venezuela in 2021.
On Saturday, through his Telegram channel, Gil wrote: "On behalf of President Nicolás Maduro, we express our sincere gratitude and farewell to the Ambassador of T&T to Venezuela, Edmund Dillon, to whom we have awarded the Order of Francisco de Miranda, First Class."