(Trinidad Guardian) US Embassy officials have denied knowledge of imposing a ban on Carnival masqueraders passing near its building on Marli Street, Port-of-Spain.
But a release yesterday from the National Carnival Commission (NCC) said during a December 27 meeting, members of the T&T Carnival Bands Association (TTCBA) raised concerns about the US Embassy’s proposed “ban” on bands passing outside its building on Queen’s Park West.
“Who is the embassy to tell us, after all the years we’ve been passing there, that we cannot?” queried Gerard Weekes, executive member of the TTCBA.
Last week, Capt Neville Wint, chairman of the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA)’s Parade of the Bands route sub-committee, said because of security concerns, the Carnival parade would not be allowed to pass alongside the US Embassy.
However, public affairs officer at the embassy Alexander McLaren said yesterday that he knew nothing of any such ban.
In a telephone interview, he said he would look into the matter.
Traffic is blocked from using the northern lane of Marli Street, which runs past the embassy.
Other topics discussed at the stakeholder meeting included a new parade route for Carnival 2013.
With 40 days to T&T Carnival, a Port-of-Spain parade route is yet to be officially announced.
The NCC and other stakeholders reached an agreement on the route, but are awaiting clearance before announcing changes.
The changes will apply to the parade routes for Carnival Monday, Tuesday and Children’s Carnival. It was decided that last year’s J’Ouvert route would again be used.
The meeting included representatives from the NCBA, the National Carnival Development Foundation (NCDF), the T&T Carnival Bands Association, Pan Trinbago, Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (Tuco) and the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism.
A release from the NCC yesterday reiterated new NCC chairman Allison Demas’s statement that the new routes were being proposed in order to solve the gridlock and the long waits which plague mas bands while on the road, particularly when crossing the stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
The release noted suggestions from vice president of the NCDF Jean Paul Pouchet that GPS tracking systems should be used to monitor the progress of mas bands on the road.
