Kamla Persad demands urgent investigation in killing of nine-month-baby

Trinidad and Tobago: The leader of Opposition Kamla Persad Bissessar has slammed Prime Minister Keith Rowley for his latest Facebook post. The newest post of PM was about the accidental killing of the nine-month Venezuelan baby by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.

Kamla Persad Bissessar said that the Prime Minister has ‘once again’ chosen to engage in lies and distractions to cover up the failure, ineptitude, and destructive mismanagement of his Government.

She further mentioned that the killing of the innocent baby, Yaelvis Santoyo Sarabia, has resulted in tremendous outrage across the globe. This negligence of the coast guard has internationally embarrassed the country.

She also mentioned the headlines of various internationally recognised media organisations. She wrote, “Globally, media headlines range from: Infant baby killed after coast guard opens fire on a boat carrying Venezuelan Migrants” (UK Guardian) to “Venezuelan baby killed in mother’s arms as Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard fires at the migrant boat” (Washington Post). In the UK Guardian, The Washington Post, the Caracas Chronicles, Al Jazeera and elsewhere, Trinidad and Tobago is portrayed as a brutish, brutal regime under PM Keith Rowley.”

Kamla Persad added that the act had been condemned by various human rights organisations, including the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Kamla Persad added that the Prime Minister has started another episode of his “Blame Kamla” mad man’s rant and has twisted my words.

“Prime Minister twists my words and makes this dastardly tragedy yet another episode of his “Blame Kamla” mad man’s ran following my remark that this shameful incident is compromising our international reputation, at a UNC meeting on Monday night,” mentioned the leader of the opposition.

“While this is in keeping with his destructive, dictatorial track record of interfering with the independent national security organisations of our country, it remains dangerous and intolerable. It is passing strange that he did not respond in kind to President Maduro, whose Government made similar observations, nor did he see it fit to issue a comprehensive, sane response to the United Nation’s concerns, as any real, patriotic leader would do in the best interest of preserving good foreign relations with our international allies. Indeed, his unhinged ranting seems to suggest that he is endorsing the killing of innocent babies at the expense of our country’s democracy and international reputation,” she added.

She further raised questions on the already occurred attacks on the migrants. She said that the findings must then be laid in the Parliament so that the national and international public can determine what took place, which is in keeping with normal protocol in incidents like these.

She further condemned Rowley’s personal attack on her and said that “I dismiss him— and his pack of nasty lies— as useless, deranged and vile.”