11
V'zuelans sneak into T&T to get Chavez's attention
By Keino Swamber
South Bureau
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
10 15 06
IN a fishing boat with little fuel and no food,
11 Venezuelans came to Trinidad for help yesterday.
They
managed to sneak past Venezuela's Guardia Nacional
and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard-arriving
at King's Wharf in San Fernando shortly after 2
p.m.
The
11 villagers, including two women, from the fishing
village of Guiria, came aboard the Principe II.
The
daring move was their last resort in getting the
attention of their president, Hugo Chavez. All previous
efforts to get information out to their capital
city, Caracas, and to President Chavez have been
blocked.
The
villagers of Guiria have been protesting the proposed
takeover of the port by oil company ConocoPhillips
Venezuela (COPVen), for use as an oil terminal.
Guiria
is located on a small peninsula in northern Venezuela
and can be seen from Trinidad's West Coast.
After
spending about five hours on the sea, the group
docked and were offered a meal of curried potatoes
and rice by local fishermen who live along the waterfront.
They also begged for, and were provided with, fuel
to make their return journey yesterday.
Speaking
on behalf of the group, through Trinidadian interpreter
Salim Abrahim, boat captain Gabriel Quijada said
they are hoping for an intervention by Chavez.
"The
fishermen in Guiria use the port as their main livelihood,"
Quijada said. "The governor and the mayor are
trying to get rid of the fishermen and hand the
port over to the oil companies. They want to move
the ice factory and destroy the whole fishing industry
without giving us any compensation."
Quijada
said their protest against the move had brought
operations and the port to a standstill. Over 1,000
people are said to be protesting. The protest went
into its sixth day yesterday.
"We
are carrying out a peaceful protest right now, but
it may reach civil unrest proportions very soon
because no one is paying us any attention. The police
and army come and they beat some of us. This is
not right," he said.
"We
are being told that the orders to give the port
to the oil company is coming from higher political
powers, but we believe President Chavez does not
have any idea about what is taking place."
Quijada
said their next move would be to wait and see whether
Chavez becomes aware of the situation after it is
highlighted in the local media.
"We
want him to send his people here to investigate
and bring peace back to Guiria."
Asked
late yesterday how a boat with 11 Venezuelans could
enter Trinidad and Tobago waters without being intercepted,
Regiment public relations officer Captain Al Alexander
said he was unaware of the situation.
"This
is the first I am hearing it," Alexander said.
"However,
we know that it is absolutely impossible to monitor
the full circumference of our borders. Although
we have the necessary equipment to monitor, sometimes
things do slip through the waters."
He
added that if the Venezuelans took an established
route into Trinidad, they would not be intercepted
unless there was a suspicion that they were carrying
drugs or ammunition.
"It
is hardly likely that they would have been intercepted
because more likely than not, if they did not act
suspicious, it would have been believed that they
are here to do legitimate business." Alexander
said the matter would be investigated.
Trinidad
Express
Saturday, October 14th 2006
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