NEWS
Venezuelan authorities arrest 2 for human trafficking to Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuelan authorities have detained two people in connection with trafficking people to Trinidad and Tobago for sex under the guise of offering the victims jobs. The authorities detained a 19-year-old woman in the state of Monagas and a man, 42, in the state of Delta Amacuro for human trafficking. On Wednesday, Tucupita-based media outlet Tane Tanae credited the director of the Venezuelan Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC), Douglas Rico, for the information. The article said the case became known through complaints and interviews with one of the victims' family. The authorities were informed that the victim was waiting to be transferred by people who offered them work in TT. Read more here
Calls for national award for hero truck driver "I did not want another Paria tragedy"
Trinidadian-born truck driver John Jagurnauth grew up in Guyana, swimming the mighty Demerara River as a child. So when he saw a vehicle overturned in a flooded area off the Caroni Bird Sanctuary last Thursday, he was experienced enough to safely swim through the swamp to save a stranded motorist who was struggling to breathe in the partially submerged car. In the dead of night, with little fear of caimans or anacondas, Jagurnauth recalled how he prayed to God and then proceeded through the murky waters, eventually bringing Kern Keith, of Pleasantville, to safety. Speaking at his Claxton Bay home, Jagurnauth said he remembered the Paria Fuel diving tragedy, which claimed the lives of Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Yusuf Henry and Kazim Ali Junior inside a 30-inch pipeline on February 25th, 2022, while the authorities failed to mount a rescue mission. Read more here
POLITICS
Local government bodies to discuss regional travel
Six Caribbean mayors have presented a proposal to the Inter-American Development Bank for the development of a Caribbean cities network to enhance travel in the region. This will be discussed at the Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities conference being held in TT this Thursday-Saturday. Regional local government heads from Guyana, Montserrat, Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Dominica, St Lucia and TT gathered at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, PoS, on Friday for the opening ceremony on Friday. The conference will feature presentations on various aspects of local governance as well as visits to the regional corporations of Sangre Grande, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Penal/Debe and Point Fortin Borough. Read more here
PM accuses THA of blocking him from quarry visit
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has accused the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) of intentionally blocking him from visiting the quarry on the island and then having the audacity to blame him for challenges within its Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development. Speaking at a media conference yesterday, THA Secretary Trevor James said the Studley Park Enterprises Limited (SPEL) is struggling to get a blasting permit and a mining licence from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries in Trinidad. James said that SPEL’s blasting permit expired in April 2023 but their application for renewal, which was made since October 12, 2022, has been so far ignored. James claimed that “this was another attempt by the Government in Trinidad to overreach and stymy opportunities to increase THA revenue.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Govt obstructing progress in Tobago
Secretary of Infrastructure in the Tobago House of Assembly Trevor James is convinced there is a wilful attempt by the Government to frustrate efforts by the THA to acquire a blasting permit and insurance licence for Studley Park Enterprises Ltd (SPEL). James, who spoke at yesterday’s THA media briefing said the two licences are critical to the performance at SPEL. According to the company’s website, “The Studley Park Quarry is a substantial land area containing some of the best aggregate material in the world used in construction. Its volcanic properties make it a superb, high-value revenue-generating commodity for the island of Tobago.” Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Diversity must not become a spear of division’
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has implored Guyanese to reject attempts, from whichever quarter, that are aimed to fostering prejudice, hatred, strife and division. In his message on the occasion of Arrival Day, the Head of State said that diversity must not become a spear of division. “Arrival Day is a celebration of the multicultural character of our nation. On this day, declared as a public holiday, we pay homage to our African, Asian, European and West Indian ancestors who together with our Indigenous peoples laid the foundation of our country’s ethnic diversity, each contributing, in no small measure, to our country’s attainment of freedom and its development,” Dr. Ali said. He related that multiculturalism, the product of the meeting of these worlds, allows Guyanese, as a nation, to benefit from the rich cultural heritage of their respective peoples. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner Group boss says he will pull troops out of Bakhmut
The leader of Russia's Wagner Group has threatened to withdraw his troops from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Wednesday, in a row over ammunition. His statement came after he posted a gruesome video of him walking among dead fighters' bodies, asking defence officials for more supplies. Russia has been trying to capture the city for months, despite its questionable strategic value. Yevgeny Prigozhin pinned his decision squarely on the defence ministry. "Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the... ammunition?... They came here as volunteers and die for you to fatten yourselves in your mahogany offices." Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have often been the focus for Prigozhin's anger. Read more here
5th May 2023