Kamla Bissessar calls on govt to probe death of a Venezuelan baby

Thursday, 10th February 2022

Kamla Persad questions the situation that led to demise of a Venezuelan baby.

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Opposition party leader Kamla Persad Bissessar calls on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to launch a probe into the killing of a Venezuelan baby by TT coastguard, calling it a matter of the country's reputation. UNC leader claims that PM Rowley is covering up his administration's 'ineptitude and utter destructive mismanagement' to run the country. Bissessar highlighted the outrage concerning the tragic killing of a Venezuelan baby (Yaelvis Santoyo Sarabia), which put the reputation of Trinidad and Tobago at stake. She asserted, "The horrific killing of a baby Yaelvis Santoyo Sarabia has resulted in tremendous international outrage, causing considerable disrepute and embarrassment to our country." Bissessar further highlighted that the Venezuelan Government has also called on Trinidad and Tobago's government to investigate the brutal killing. Besides this, numerous international organisations such as - United Nations agencies (the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), issued a joint statement, condemning the horrible incident. Jean Gough, regional director for UNICEF, Latin America and the Caribbean, stated, "No migrant child should ever die, whether they are travelling with their parents or are alone. No mother wants to put the life of her children at risk on a small ship in the deep sea unless she has no other option left with her". Following the incident, Kamla asked the Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Ethelbert Hinds, to resign. On the other hand, PM Rowley targeted Kamla saying that she was blurring out the coast guard forces of the country. "I, therefore, reiterate my call for Rowley to urgently launch a comprehensive inquiry into this tragic and untenable incident. The findings must then be laid in the Parliament so that the national and international public can determine what really took place, which is in keeping with normal protocol in incidents like these," the opposition leader stated.