(Trinidad Guardian) Venezuela’s government has urged T&T authorities to carry out an “exhaustive investigation” to clarify the death of a child who migrated to this country with his mother and who died after presumably, the boat in which he was traveling was shot at by the Coast Guard.
“The Venezuelan Government extends its most sincere condolences to the infant’s relatives, while urging the Trinidad and Tobago authorities to carry out an exhaustive investigation to clarify the facts surrounding this fatal incident in which, unfortunately, he lost his life a Venezuelan child,” said the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The statement also indicated that President Nicolás Maduro ordered to activate all diplomatic mechanisms and establish “the necessary binational protocols to consolidate the cross-border security dynamics that preserve good understanding” between the countries.
The Foreign Ministry explained that, on Saturday night, in the territorial waters of Trinidad and Tobago, the Coast Guard “opened fire” on a boat in which 43 people were travelling , “leaving the tragic balance of a deceased child, while his mother was wound”.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also expressed his condolences on Monday for the death of the minor.
“I want to express my condolences on behalf of all the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, regarding the unfortunate loss of a child during a security operation, ” Rowley said in a press release posted on his official Facebook page.
According to Rowley, after speaking with the executive vice-president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, she promised to speed up the process of presenting credentials for the Trinidadian ambassador, Edmund Dillon, so that he can meet as early as possible with high-ranking officials of the Coast Guard of your country.
Given this, Rowley said that meeting will help to have better communication and collaboration with the Venezuelan government related to migrant smuggling trips, drug trafficking and illegal arms trafficking.
On Sunday, the Venezuelan opposition denounced the death of the minor on social networks and demanded justice from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
“The death of a Venezuelan child, who along with his mother fled from the dictatorship, hurts our soul as a country. The shots fired by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard have no justification, they killed him (…) we ask for justice,” opposition leader Juan Guaidó wrote on his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said that from the early hours of Sunday morning he had been in communication with Dr Rowley and Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds on the incident.
“I established direct and early communication, as soon as notified, with the Venezuelan Minister of External Affairs H.E. Felix Plasensia, and with the Ambassador of Venezuela H.E. Carlos Perez, and maintained same through today. Via such communication I have been able to convey sadness and regret at the loss of life of a small child in the incident, and I have also transmitted a Diplomatic Note to Caracas that provided a summary of the incident and that expressed the sincere sympathies of the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Browne said.