THE Prime Minister has expressed his condolences to the Venezuelan government on the death of a Venezuelan infant who was shot when the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard tried to intercept a boat smuggling migrants into the country on Saturday night.
A statement from the coast guard had said their officers shot in self defence at a boat which tried to ram one of its boats (jeopardising the lives of coast guardsmen), but had inadvertently shot the infant while not knowing the boat contained civilians. The child's mother has been hospitalised in Trinidad while other passengers are being processed in keeping with immigration and health protocols.
On Sunday night, the Office of the Prime Minister issued a statement on behalf of Dr Rowley.
"I just spoke to the Vice President of the Government of Venezuela (Delcy Rodriguez.)
"I conveyed our deepest sympathy to the family and wider Venezuelan community at this time of grief over the loss of life of the young child, at sea, during security operations involving TT Coast Guard and traffickers transporting illicit entrants."
Rowley said Rodriguez had promised to fast-track the presentation of credentials for TT ambassador to Venezuela Edmund Dillon.
"That will facilitate an early meeting between senior TT Coast Guard officers and senior officers of the Guardia Nacionale, to bring about better and more effective collaboration against the illicit trades of trafficking in people, guns and drugs etc, which are detrimental to both our nations.
"I expressed my deepest sympathy on my own behalf and of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago with respect to the unfortunate loss of life of the baby during the security operations.
"We continue to appeal to our Venezuelan neighbours to not be encouraged to risk their lives and the life of others in illicit and dangerous border crossings."
As of Monday, the international media houses reporting this tragedy include the Washington Post, ABC News, Reuters and Associated Press (AP.)
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