Some Venezuelans living in Trinidad and Tobago are hopeful that stronger relations between the two countries will lead to improvements for members of the Venezuelan community, particularly after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar revealed that her mother-in-law and two grandnephews are Venezuelan.
La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre director Andreina Briceño Ventura-Brown and Starlite Group managing director Gerald Aboud shared their views on the issue yesterday.
Their comments came after Persad-Bissessar, on Wednesday, spoke about Government’s efforts to strengthen relations with Venezuela, the possibility of a meeting with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, and her family ties to the South American nation. The Prime Minister did not respond to further Guardian Media queries yesterday regarding her mother-in-law.
La Casita is a non-governmental organisation focused on the integration, inclusion and protection of migrants and refugees.
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s disclosure of her family connection to Venezuela, Ventura-Brown said: “At La Casita, we welcome with humanity any gesture that acknowledges the ties that already exist between Trinidadian and Venezuelan families because those ties aren’t new, they are real, and many of us experience them every day through our work across communities in T&T.”
Asked whether strengthened relations could bring improvements for Venezuelans living here, Ventura-Brown said: “We stay out of conversations on foreign policy or decisions governments make. But we can speak to what we see daily: behind every conversation between governments are real families waiting to live with normalcy. Families who want their documents in order, whose children can access formal education and healthcare, and who can feel like a genuine part of the community that has welcomed them.”
She added: “One of the things we value most, and hope to continue building with local institutions, is a police response marked by sensitivity and fair treatment toward victims of crime and gender-based violence within the migrant community, one where the language barrier is never an obstacle to being heard or a reason to receive different treatment.
“No woman, child or family should ever be afraid to turn to the police for help, regardless of their migration status or the language they speak.”
Ventura-Brown added: “In the same spirit, we believe in the dignified treatment of anyone in detention and in judicial processes that move more quickly and clearly for those awaiting resolution of their situation. Prolonged waiting and uncertainty affect not only the detained person but entire families who depend on them. A system that resolves matters swiftly and treats people with dignity is a system that protects everyone, regardless of origin.”
She concluded: “What we sincerely hope is that these gestures and conversations, whatever their original motivation, will translate over time into concrete improvements for the Venezuelan families already building their lives here: greater clarity in migration processes, more opportunities for integration, and more spaces, including access to justice, where they are treated with the dignity they deserve.”
Aboud, whose mother was Venezuelan, also welcomed closer ties between the two countries.
“My mother was Venezuelan. Therefore, I will say that Venezuela and T&T must become more united in trade and friendship. We should treat Venezuelans as our own, provided that they enter the country legally,” he said.
“There are too many barriers and difficulties for Venezuelans entering Trinidad and this should not be. Students should have access to schools and Venezuelans should have full access to medical treatment here. There should also be legitimate avenues for employment.
“We should treat them as our brothers and sisters and build stronger ties with them. They are human beings just like us.”
