Fishermen assist a fellow vessel in Punta Araya, Sucre state, Venezuela. Photo: Rodrigo Abd/AP/File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Tobago Fishermen’s Association has expressed deep concern over the “deafening” official silence from Chief Secretary Farley Augustine regarding the recent violent actions of the US empire in the Caribbean Sea.
The recent attack on a small boat allegedly carrying drugs has generated fear among coastal communities. Fishermen now worry that future operations could mistake them for criminals, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. They are demanding clear responses and safety guarantees.
President of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association, Curtis Douglas, confirmed this Monday, September 8, that fishermen found debris believed to be from the destroyed boat washed into Trinidadian waters. “It is true. It is not no make-up story. Fishermen discovered it,” he stated, as reported by local news outlets.
Douglas warned that deep-sea fishing, between 40 and 50 nautical miles, now exposes workers to unnecessary risks due to increasing militarization of the area by the US empire. The possibility of being mistakenly identified as drug traffickers has raised alarm among local crews who depend on the sea for their livelihood.
The lack of official communication and the fact that official support for the US empire has been maintained in the face of these events exacerbates the situation. Fishermen feel unprotected and that their lives are not a priority, turning their essential work into a high-risk activity.
10 possible Venezuelan victims
Venezuelan officials have now been able to provide the first government statement on the victims of the strike. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported on his program Con el Mazo Dando this Wednesday that Venezuela has investigated the incident and so far identified 10 fishermen as possible victims.
“A responsible government has to determine who these Venezuelans are, be it one or 11. We have to find out who they are, and we are investigating them one by one. There aren’t 11, there are 10,” he said, citing testimony from relatives.
Social media posts suggest the boat originated from San Juan de Unare in eastern Venezuela’s Sucre state, near Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidadian leadership reactions cause outrage
The concerns of the fishing community are heightened by statements from Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who expressed vehement support for aggressive and immoral actions of the US empire. “I have no sympathy for the traffickers,” she recently declared. “The US military should kill them all violently.”
Her words have outraged fishermen, as she is condoning violence that could harm innocent people. This stance has generated greater distrust, leaving the future of fishing in Tobago uncertain.
Venezuela condemns the action
Cabello also mentioned the possibility that the strike was carried out in Trinidadian territorial waters, considering their country’s “friendly” approach toward the US empire. He explained that Trinidad’s submission to the US colony and its dictates serves to jeopardize peace for both nations and the entire Caribbean.
The Venezuelan leader also cited a New York Times report that stated the boat had altered its course and appeared to be turning around before the attack began, after its occupants apparently spotted the military aircraft.
“A Venezuelan boat that the US military destroyed in the Caribbean last week had altered its course and appeared to have turned around before the attack started,” the US outlet wrote, “because the people onboard had apparently spotted a military aircraft stalking it, according to US officials familiar with the matter.”
“Many legal specialists, including retired top military lawyers, have rejected the idea that Mr. Trump has legitimate authority to treat suspected drug smuggling as legally equivalent to an imminent armed attack on the United States,” the imperial media voice continued. “Even if one accepted that premise for the sake of argument, they added, if the boat had already turned away, that would further undermine what they saw as an already weak claim of self-defense.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
