Not in Our Name

Today, we have awakened to the latest salvos of continuing squabble between the contending factions of the PNM-UNC political monopoly, both seeking the approval of the parasitic oligarchy to appointed gatekeeper in office.
Sometime in the late hours of last night, the Leader of the PNM and PM issued an online missive responding to the Leader of the UNC and OL’s as a “rant” that is “not new”.
The Opposition Leader and her Oropouche MP have recently been making overtures to and lobbying the Trump ‘America First’ administration via its Ambassador to this country to consider imposing illegal economic sanctions against the Government or Trinidad and Tobago, based on an allegation of this Government ‘rendering assistance to the Maduro Regime ‘branded as undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegal” by the very Trump administration and “allies of good conscience”.
MP Moonilal in his letter to the Ambassador went further to complain to this foreign diplomat about the failure of the House Speaker to permit his motion for urgent debate on what is the source of the UNC’s latest plea to Washington.
What could be the motive of a sitting member of Parliament in complaining to a representative of an aggressive world superpower?
THE UNC'S CLAIM
The UNC’s claim is that, based on a media story (extensively quoted by Moonilal to the US Ambassador) a Venezuelan fuel trading company supplied 150,000 barrels of gasoline to that country which is suffering fuel shortages because of  “U.S. sanctions aimed at ousting socialist President Nicholas Maduro…” (quote in the MP’s letter). That gasoline they suggest was supplied by Paria Fuel Company.
Should this gasoline have been sold by Paria, the UNC suggests is “an affront to the community of free nations and further posed a risk that Trinidad and Tobago could be met with economic sanctions” (the Moonilal letter).
This is the language which would have been described in an earlier time as that of a complete lackey of a big power Might-is-Right bully.
Earlier, UNC has hoped that by ‘recognising’ Guaido (without any such official authority) they would have curried favour with the Trump administration.
THE OTHER SIDE'S RESPONSE
The PNM, for its part claims that the whole story of Paria Fuel supplying the gasoline is nothing but a UNC “self-serving untruth” (the PM’s late-night response).
The evidence offered:

• The PM answered a UNC question in Parliament and “...denied any knowledge of (Paria) making any sales to Venezuela”. 
• The Energy Minister joined in with “... we sold fuel to Aruba and cannot be held responsible for the end user of that product”
• Paria’s Chairman and the Minister explained the transaction with a Swiss trading company for an Aruba destination.

Perhaps, the PM feels that with the right amount of anti-UNC rhetoric “these responses are clear and truthful denials.”.
This sounds like the inventor of the nuclear bomb declaring whatever atrocity it is used for; I am not responsible.
More, this saga includes the visit of the Venezuelan Vice-President to our PM the day before the fuel transaction was contracted with Paria. The only account given of that visit so far is that it had to do with COVID19.
That lack of openness of the PM with the People of this country is not acceptable. Neither is the excuse that ‘we just selling gas, whatever the buyer does with it after we deliver it is not our business’.
WHAT IS THE ISSUE
Ours is a sovereign country and whether we assist a neighbouring country facing ‘its worst fuel shortages in decades’ according to Moonilal’s letter or not, should be for us to decide and no one else.
Venezuela is also a sovereign country and who the President or Government of that country is and whatever social system it chooses is for the People of that country and no one else to decide.
The US as a hegemonic superpower has not Right or Authority to decide who should or should not lead any other country. Neither, the US President by Executive Order nor its Congress, have any legitimate right or power to unilaterally impose sanctions against any country, Government or individual without due process under international law. The UNC Leader as PM denounced the Executive Orders against Venezuela.
The UNC fawning at the feet of the US or clutching on to its coattails in its fight with the PNM for the favour of the foreign and local 1%, cannot sacrifice the sovereignty of our country.
Nor can the PNM refuse to account fully to the People of this country for its actions, whether well-intentioned or otherwise. To claim, whatever happens to what we sell does not matter is just not good enough. Such excuses may satisfy supporters who refuse to question, but not a sovereign People.
If the US takes up the invitation of the UNC or decides for its own reasons, act to the detriment of our country, it is We, the People, who will be the victims.
By inviting or raising excuses hoping to avoid such actions, neither side of the feuding political monopoly is speaking or acting in our name.

Clyde Weatherhead
 A Citizen Demanding Recognition
of the Sovereignty of the People.
02 May 2020

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