Category Archives: Venezuela

Caribbean, General T&T, International, PNM, Politics, USA, Venezuela

Venezuelans should thank Rowley, not cuss him

5 Comments

By Raffique Shah
January 30, 2019

Raffique ShahThe Government of Trinidad and Tobago has adopted a correct response to the political crisis in the neighbouring Republic of Venezuela. In conforming with the United Nations charter that member-states will not intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign nations, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley explained, T&T has opted instead to join with CARICOM countries to try to persuade the UN to mediate between the warring factions and hopefully diffuse the tension and bring a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Continue reading Venezuelans should thank Rowley, not cuss him →

General T&T, USA, Venezuela

Venezuelan Crisis is Now Regional In Scope

2 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
January 30, 2019

Stephen KangalIt appears to me that the latest statement issued by Minister Stuart Young deputizing for a missing -in-action Minister of Foreign Affairs on the situation in Venezuela stands on the following three planks:

  1. The UN principle of the Sovereign Equality of States
  2. Non- Interference by T&T in the internal affairs of sovereign state of Venezuela
  3. Non-Intervention militarily but potential mediation in crisis Venezuela
    The first thought that strikes me is that were the international community deterred by the first two above-mentioned pillars in South Africa, the despicable policy of apartheid in South Africa would have been still with us today. Infringements of human, civil and political rights concerns globalize the situation in Venezuela beyond its sovereign/territorial boundaries.

Continue reading Venezuelan Crisis is Now Regional In Scope →

Elections, European Union, General T&T, International, USA, Venezuela, Violence

The US Strategy for Regime Change in Venezuela

2 Comments

The CEPR’s Alex Main and TRNN’s Greg Wilpert discuss the trajectory of US regime change policy in Venezuela through to the present coup in progress backed by the Trump administration.

By Alex Main & Greg Wilpert – The Real News
Jan 25th 2019 at 4.07pm

From economic sanctions to international pressure, how has the US strategy for regime change in Venezuela worked until now? An analysis with CEPR’s Alex Main and TRNN’s Greg Wilpert.
Continue reading The US Strategy for Regime Change in Venezuela →

General T&T, International, Latin America, USA, Venezuela

The U.S. Has Venezuela in Its Crosshairs

3 Comments

It is plain as day that the United States wants to overthrow the government in Venezuela

US President Donald Trump (L) and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) (Wikipedia)
US President Donald Trump (L) and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) (Wikipedia)

By Vijay Prashad
January 17, 2019 – venezuelanalysis.com

Last Thursday—on January 10—Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for his second term as president of Venezuela. “I tell the people,” Maduro said, “this presidential sash is yours. The power of this sash is yours. It does not belong to the oligarchy or to imperialism. It belongs to the sovereign people of Venezuela.”

These two terms—oligarchy and imperialism—define the problems faced by Maduro’s new government.
Continue reading The U.S. Has Venezuela in Its Crosshairs →

Caribbean, Cuba, General T&T, International, USA, Venezuela

Refugees aggravate T&T woes

9 Comments

By Raffique Shah
November 21, 2018

Raffique ShahTrinidad and Tobago has found itself in an unenviable, as well as untenable, position of having to deal with hundreds of mostly Venezuelan and Cuban nationals who have entered this country, legally and illegally, then announcing themselves as refugees or seeking political asylum.

This situation is unenviable because we are the only English-speaking Caribbean island-state that faces an influx of Spanish-speaking refugees, in addition to Jamaicans and Nigerians who have overstayed their Immigration-approved time, and some Chinese, Syrians and Lebanese. Except for the fairly-prosperous Dominican Republic that shares the large island of Hispaniola with poverty-stricken Haiti, where nationals of the latter invade the former on foot, whence they face rigid deportation procedures, T&T is a unique magnet for illegal immigrants.
Continue reading Refugees aggravate T&T woes →

Crime in T&T, General T&T, International, Politics, Venezuela

We must manage migration

13 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 01, 2018

Raffique ShahSometime in or around 1990, a large number of mostly Indo-Trinidadians, variously estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000, fled this country for Canada, and successfully exploited that country’s liberal immigration laws pertaining to refugee status and asylum, claiming political or racial persecution in Trinidad and Tobago.

The “refugees”, who were really Trinis seeking greener economic pastures in a huge, thriving Canada, realised their dreams through the wiles of a pool of “immigration lawyers” who, for handsome fees, beat the system and won them the right to live and work there. I imagine that most of them remain residents of Canada to this day, and they are happy in their adopted homeland.
Continue reading We must manage migration →

General T&T, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Venezuela

Integrity Commission a waste

14 Comments

By Raffique Shah
June 06, 2016

Raffique ShahWhen constitutionally-independent institutions in the country seem to be collapsing, when holders of the highest offices seem confused about their roles and perplexed about their powers, and when the law publicly proves to be the proverbial ass, then, Trinidad & Tobago, we have a problem…a very serious problem.
Continue reading Integrity Commission a waste →

General T&T, International, USA, Venezuela

Reject US sanctions

2 Comments

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro during his recent visit to T&T
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro during his recent visit to T&T

By Sasha Harrinanan
March 16, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

The citizens and Government of Trinidad and Tobago are being urged to reject the recently announced United States sanctions against Venezuelan government officials accused of violating protestors’ rights during demonstrations earlier this year.
Continue reading Reject US sanctions →

General T&T, International, Murder, USA, Venezuela

All hands stained with blood

2 Comments

By Raffique Shah
July 20, 2014

Raffique ShahNot surprisingly, they are all pointing “holier than thou” fingers at each other following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that killed close to 300 innocent people.

The Ukrainian government accuses pro-Russian separatists in the area where the tragedy occurred of firing a Russia-supplied missile that brought the passenger plane down. America and much of Europe concur, with blood-curdling calls for the “terrorists” to be brought to justice.
Continue reading All hands stained with blood →