Chairman of the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers, Vivek Charran, is weighing in on last night's U.S. strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug vessel, warning that the fallout highlights the deepening threats facing Trinidad and Tobago from guns, drugs, and human trafficking possibly emanating from across the Venezuela corridor.
00:00Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition, Chairman of the Confederation, Vivek Charan, said,
00:06Venezuela's record makes it clear that supporting the United States in its action is the right decision.
00:13Last night, the U.S. Navy carried out a precision strike in the waters of the Southern Caribbean,
00:20targeting a Venezuelan-linked vessel.
00:22U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the strike resulted in the deaths of 11 suspected narco-terrorists
00:31and underscored it as a firm warning against drug trafficking, a move supported by Prime Minister Kamala-Pasad-Basasa.
00:38Today, Charan expressed similar sentiments.
00:42Quite simply, we have to make a choice. And what should that choice be?
00:47I believe that choice should be to support the Americans.
00:51And I believe, I mean, many people are saying it is the wrong thing to do.
00:55And we're talking about American imperialism in America.
00:58If they invade, if they invade, you know, Venezuela, what does that mean?
01:04They can invade any territory they want and they can control and so on.
01:08But I mean, in reality, you know, it's quite far-fetched that something that can actually happen.
01:14He believes the move by the U.S. was strategic and well thought out.
01:19The U.S. response, I believe, is not one that was done in a vacuum.
01:25I don't think the U.S. response either is to invade Venezuela and create instability in the region either.
01:32I think really, you know, possibly there could be intelligence that led to that.
01:37Possibly there's also the Venezuelan lobby in America that could have led to, you know, what is happening.
01:43Confederation chairman Vivek Charan says the region has seen Venezuela's belligerence on its borders directed at Guyana, a close ally, and at times even towards Trinidad and Tobago itself.
01:57He notes that Caracas has not always been the most cooperative partner in regional affairs.
02:02He also notes the impact on crime.
02:05When we look at our situation here in Trinidad and we look at one of the critical factors in our crime situation, it is the incidence of guns coming into Trinidad and Tobago.
02:18And when we look at Venezuela being unable to control its borders or what leaves its borders, considering that we are so close to mainland Venezuela,
02:31and there is the sense that a lot of guns are being brought into our country, drugs are being brought into our country,
02:37and also there's a large amount of human trafficking that is coming through, you know, that area of water between Venezuela and Trinidad.
02:46Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessor has expressed strong support for the United States' recent strike on a reported Venezuelan-based drug vessel,
02:56stating that she has no sympathy for traffickers and that the U.S. military should kill them all violently.
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