Finding Our Way In the Evolving Situation in Venezuela

The economic and political crisis in Venezuela has been escalated by the US-led moves to install a regime favourable to the US via ‘regime change’ directed by that superpower.
Vice President Pence the day before large numbers of demonstrators miraculously took to the streets of Caracas and Juan Guaido declared himself Interim President issued a message calling on the Venezuelan people to speak out and the US will back them in their fight for ‘freedom’.
Do we really think that Pence’s message and the developments the next day are disconnected or co-incidental? If we believe so, then we have learnt nothing about how this superpower operates.
Is it also co-incidental that the OAS Secretary-General, US President and countries of the ‘Lima Group’ within the OAS all declared their ‘recognition’ of Guaido before his hand dropped after swearing himself into ‘office’?
US MANIPULATION OF THE SITUATION
This entire incident was orchestrated by Washington. Trump has since appointed Elliott Abrams a man convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal under Reagan who secretly funded murderous paramilitary groups as part of the US efforts to overthrow the Nicaraguan government, to “lead efforts to press for democracy in Venezuela”.
(https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/venezuela-latest-elliott-abrams-trump-pompeo-maduro-juan-guaido-a8747306.html).
US Secretary of State Pompeo described this convicted Abrams as “a true asset in our mission to help the Venezuelan people fully restore democracy and prosperity to their country.”.
The US has called for a UN Security Council meeting on Saturday 26 January to push for other country’s to ‘recognize Mr Guaido as (Venezuela’s) interim head of state’.
At the same time, CARICOM is seeking to meet the UN Secretary-General on Monday January 28, after the Security Council Meeting.
Today, the US Ambassador in TT issued a statement saying, “I find the official statements from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago recognising the undemocratic and illegitimate government of Nicholas Maduro to be deeply concerning.”.  Concerning to the US and making thinly-veiled threats by adding “Democracy and prosperity require tough choices.”.
TT and CARICOM POSITION
At the end of an emergency video conference meeting on Thursday night (January 24) CARICOM issued a statement saying, “Heads of Government reiterated that the long-standing political crisis, which has been exacerbated by recent events, can only be resolved peacefully through meaningful dialogue and diplomacy.”.
The Heads also decided to “seek an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General to request the U. N’s assistance in resolving the issue.”.
This meeting will come after the US resolution is debated by the Security Council.
That meeting with the UN Secretary-General will only be useful in the circumstances if CARICOM calls for a full General Assembly meeting on the situation in Venezuela.
The co-ordinated CARICOM position may have come a little too late. From the time the US organised the so-called Lima Group inside the OAS, CARICOM should have developed a joint position on the motion put to the OAS by that group and voted on January 10.
SITUATION REQUIRES PRINCIPLED STAND BY TT
This entire economic and political crisis in Venezuela requires that, as a small island state right on the doorstep of Venezuela, T&T must take and maintain a principled stand to protect the sovereignty and security of this country.
I suggest the following:

• What we MUST NOT do is TAKE SIDES IN THE INTERNAL MATTERS OF VENEZUELA. NO other country or power must impose their ‘solution’ on Venezuela.
• We must call for peaceful resolution and say NO to foreign-imposed ‘regime change’ and do what we can for a common CARICOM position.
• As best we can, we must assist those who come to us for help while being vigilant against those who may come for improper purposes. 
• We must refuse to be part of any military intervention against Venezuela.
• We must NEVER allow desperation to let the Dragon Field deal or any pressure from big powers determine what we do in this situation.
• We, the People of TT must not allow our disagreement with the PNM to drive us to take any stand that will compromise the Independence and sovereignty of our nation and peace in our region.

There are particular pressures that TT faces because of our location, the presence of refugees from Venezuela, threats from the US, concerns for our security and safety if military action is launched against Venezuela, particularly if world powers are involved.
We must focus on seeking peaceful resolution of the situation.
Should military adventure be undertaken we cannot stop it. But we must not join in it.
This is a very complex situation for our country, and we can only preserve our nation’s integrity and independence if we deal with every development with principled responses and not sacrifice our nation’s future for temporary benefits.
Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for
Independence, Security and Future
of our nation.  
25 January 2019