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“[…] The fact that our Prime Minister would openly applaud extrajudicial killings as a solution to drug trafficking was troubling to say the least. By cheering on violence outside the rule of law, she plants a creeping poison in the heart of our democracy.
“[…] President Donald Trump said the strike was a bold anti‑drug move. But what price do we pay when the law is set aside, when individuals are ‘taken out’ without trial or transparency? […]”
The following Letter to the Editor on the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s response to the US Government’s claim of killing 11 alleged Venezuelan drug dealers in international waters was submitted to Wired868 by Osei Benn of D’Abadie:
I was extremely concerned reading recently that the Honourable Prime Minister had issued a statement in response to the American bombing of a ship suspected of shipping drugs out of Venezuela by stating she has “no sympathy for traffickers” and that the US military should “kill them all violently”.
The fact that our Prime Minister would openly applaud extrajudicial killings as a solution to drug trafficking was troubling to say the least. By cheering on violence outside the rule of law, she plants a creeping poison in the heart of our democracy.
The strike in international waters on 2 September 2025 by US forces against what was described as a Venezuelan-origin drug vessel, allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, killed 11 individuals.
Photo: Office of the President.
President Donald Trump said the strike was a bold anti‑drug move. But what price do we pay when the law is set aside, when individuals are “taken out” without trial or transparency?
Our legal system exists to temper fear, to ensure justice is measured. To champion what essentially boils down to murder—even in the face of repugnant crimes—is to open a perilous path.
What’s more, we should encourage caution regarding the US naval buildup in the Caribbean and the corresponding aggressive rhetoric. What has begun as a “counter‑narcotics” mission risks turning into a wider geopolitical conflict.
It’s highly likely that the US will use the excuse of drug enforcement as a pretext for broader intervention.
Trinidad and Tobago is at a crossroads. Let us not cheer for shortcuts that erode justice. Instead, demand proper interdiction, fair trials, transparency, and regional cooperation.
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Your PM has never been intellectually smart, unfortunately.
It is a stunning level of bravado/stupidity that we are witnessing. One that is guaranteed to hurt us and further ostracize the gov’t and our people (among friends and foes) as this situation wears on. Hopefully our PM knows that the U.S government’s friendship, which she seems to crave more than the wellbeing of her countrymen will only last as long as trump’s popularity at home continues to wane. Once his approval ratings show any signs of improving he will have no use for us, and it’s bye bye TNT. This leaves us with a number of fractured relationships (caricom/Venezuela) which seems less repairable as the days go by. One wonders what is the role of the foreign affairs minister and our ambassador to caricom in providing guidance/temperance to a clearly over exuberant PM in attempting to soften her tone and averting further diplomatic fallouts.