(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has once again sympathised with the family of the infant killed when the Coast Guard intercepted a vessel carrying Venezuelan migrants.
But, Rowley says he rejects any attempt to paint the Coast Guard officers involved in the incident as “murderers”.
He was speaking during the opening of the Maloney community swimming pool yesterday afternoon.
On Saturday night, baby Yaelvis Santoyo Sarabia was killed and his mother Darielvis Sarabia was injured when Coast Guard officers fired on a vessel transporting migrants.
The Coast Guard said the vessel had tried to ram its boat.
The Prime Minister said yesterday it is the job of the Coast Guard to defend Trinidad and Tobago.
“It is common knowledge that in Trinidad and Tobago we are under constant penetration by persons from other countries who see Trinidad and Tobago as a better opportunity. That might surprise some people in Trinidad and Tobago who spend all their waking moments trying to convince the majority of people in this country that life in this country is hell on earth,” he said. “But whatever it is, we protect it, we guard it and we appreciate it.”
Rowley said as a grandfather, he understands what the family of the baby who was killed must be feeling.
He said he did not know which officer pulled the trigger, but that he knew the officer would be feeling the pain of knowing his “legal and appropriate” action caused the death of a child.
“And to be called a murderer, I reject it, I reject it and I reject it,” the Prime Minister said.
Traffic along both borders
Rowley noted that there is traffic along the borders from people who do not observe the laws of T&T and “take it upon themselves to enter in an illegal way”.
He said there are many Trinidad and Tobago citizens who do the same thing towards Venezuela, resulting in traffic both in and out of T&T.
“How we manage that, our officers here in T&T are required to prevent those persons who are coming to us illegally from Venezuela and, by the same token, the Guardia Nacional have the same responsibility in Venezuela in treating with our citizens who go across to Venezuela,” he said.
He said T&T and Venezuela must be closer in their relationship in patrolling their borders for the people of both nations.
Rowley extended sympathies to those directly affected by the tragedy, but said the country’s borders must remain protected as it is through those borders that arms, ammunition and drugs enter the country.
“The job of protecting us from these situations lies and continues to lie with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard,” he said.
