Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has warned citizens against publicly criticising the United States, arguing that such rhetoric is hypocritical and could carry real consequences in a country where hundreds of thousands of nationals hold U.S. visas or dual citizenship.
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Speaking at a Christmas supper at the Diplomatic Centre in Port of Spain on Thursday night, Persad-Bissessar said she was troubled by what she described as selective outrage aimed at Washington by people who benefit from access to the United States.
“I think it is the height of hypocrisy and unkindness that there are people in our country who want to fight the Americans,” she said. “You want to go in the people’s country, but you want to badmouth them. Isn’t that hypocrisy from some?”
She cautioned that public criticism of the U.S. could have repercussions, pointing to recent U.S. actions involving Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.
“They badmouthed in the U.S. and guess what happened? All their visas are restricted now. They have cut their visas,” she said. “Which Trini wants their visa cut? So behave yourself. Understand where our help comes from. Understand who can protect and defend Trinidad and Tobago. Right now, there is only one country in the world that can do it.”
Persad-Bissessar added that she did not want any citizen of Trinidad and Tobago to lose access to the United States. “If it happens, it won’t be because of me,” she said.
Her remarks came as regional leaders sought to clarify the situation. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in a Facebook post that Antiguans with existing U.S. visas would continue to enjoy access and that there would be no revocations. He added that new visas for some Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries could be suspended until biometric passport systems meeting U.S. specifications are implemented.
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also said publicly that all valid U.S. visas already issued to Dominican passport holders would continue to be honoured following discussions with U.S. officials.
Persad-Bissessar, however, doubled down on her defence of Trinidad and Tobago’s relationship with Washington, pointing to long-standing economic, security and defence ties. She said the United States remains Trinidad and Tobago’s largest trading partner and one of its oldest bilateral allies, while trade with Venezuela amounted to “0.0003.”
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“It’s all well and good to take the people’s visas and go up Florida and shop and go wherever and shop,” she said. “So, just leave the people alone.”
She also stressed that Trinidad and Tobago relies on the United States for defence, arguing that no other country has the proximity or military capability to protect the nation.
“So, if anybody comes to attack Trinidad and Tobago, whom you think will stand up to defend us?” she asked. “India not coming here. They are too far away… Right seven miles away is one country, and a few more miles is the USA.”
The prime minister said her government must safeguard the country’s defence assets and military capacity, insisting that her position is guided by putting Trinidad and Tobago first.
“Like them or don’t like them, that’s not the issue,” she said. “It’s who will give us the best to put T&T safely and to put T&T first.”