1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: Also media, good day, gooday, and welcomed it could happen here. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: I'm Andrew Sage andrewism on YouTube and I'm here. 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 2: With James Stout. For those of you wondering what my 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: last name. 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: Is, Hello, Hello, And for those who couldn't tell about 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: my accent or maybe don't recognize it, I'm from Trinado Tobego. 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: But when and based and you may or may not 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: have seen Tronad's name being called up in JD. Van's 9 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: and Marco Rubio's mouths deately, particularly with the moves of 10 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: the US has been making in the Caribbean Sea as 11 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: of late. So to provide a little context on the 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: inciting incident of this episode, the current Prime Minister of 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: Trinado Diego came PUSA professor expressed very passionate support for 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: the US's recent move on an alleged Venezuela based drug vessel. 15 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 3: I say alleged. 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: Because no proof has been provided that it was a 17 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: drug vessel or anything of that nature that the United 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: States struck. The Prime Minister said, and I quote that 19 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: she has no sympathy for traffickers and at the US 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: should kill them all violently. 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 3: Jesus Christ for those. 22 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: I mean, most people do not know much about Trinitian politics. 23 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: I don't expect them to. Our current prime minister she 24 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: won this year actually, and she kind of carried on 25 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: our trend of incumbent losing the elections that took place, 26 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, post COVID lockdown twenty twenty era. So the 27 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: previous prime minister was Prime Minister, doctor Keith Rowley. 28 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: He was prime minister for like ten years. 29 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: He became prime Minister after she lost her last stint 30 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: as prime minister. Because she's kind of a mess in 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: a couple of different ways. I mean, both parties are 32 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: pretty corrupt, but they're corrupt and incompetent in some very 33 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: critical ways. 34 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 3: Corrupt and racists and couple of issues. That trend continues 35 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 3: with her new candidacy. You know, she is not only 36 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 3: feeling the country in some crucial ways. You know, she 37 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 3: canceled our Independence Day celebrations. She fired like thousands of. 38 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: Workers from a local agency that's responsible for landscaping around 39 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: the country basically you know, cutting grass and clear entry 40 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: and that sort of thing. Fired like thousands of them, right, 41 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: and all the entire country is overgrown and all those 42 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: people have like like right before their children have to 43 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: go to school. You know, they had no income to 44 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: support them. So there's like a lot of cruelty, a lot 45 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: of corruption, a lot of incompetence, and in this particular case, 46 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: diplomatic carelessness, recklessness because she goes and she says this 47 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: despite the fact that not only the US violated law 48 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: international law, but also we are small. You may not 49 00:02:58,720 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: be able to see train ad in a lot of 50 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: maps because we are small. You know, we may be 51 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: one of the more populated Caribbean countries where we are 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: still small. Venezuela is our closest neighbor, and she has 53 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: been exceedingly irresponsible in the ways that she's approached Venezuela 54 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: because in the previous administration actually had an agreement with 55 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: Venezuela regarding the extraction of their fossil fuels in the 56 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: waters that are between Trinidad and Venezuela. We had to 57 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: get permission from the United States to get into that 58 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: agreement with Venezuela because Venezuela is currently under sanction, and 59 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: for the longest time, Trinid has had to walk this 60 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: sort of tight rope of playing nice with both the 61 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: US and Venezuela. She's basically come in guns blazon to 62 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: make state months that appear to be openly aggressive towards Venezuela, 63 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: towards Venezuelan sovereignty, and so on. Now, her reasoning is 64 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: that Trinidad has been ravaged by a lot of violence 65 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: and addiction that have been caused by these drug cartails 66 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: coming from South America, including Venezuela. This is a very 67 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: real issue, the illegal gun and drug and human trafficking 68 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: that takes place between South America and Triniad. We are 69 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: tranship one point for that sort of activity, and that 70 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: kind of thing brings violence. 71 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 3: The USUO is that while she may. 72 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: Be able to say things like make God bless and 73 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: protect the members of the US military, the US and 74 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: the US military are in part responsible for the violence 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 1: that is ravaged Latin America. But it's also not even 76 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: particularly interested. Regardless of what their words may say, they're 77 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: not particularly interested in dealing with the drug issue. At 78 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: the end of the day, it really comes down to 79 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: regime change and a desire to. 80 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 3: Control Venezuela's resources. 81 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: But let me take it back for a moment and 82 00:04:55,839 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: provide a longer history of what's going on right. The 83 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: states became independent in seventeen seventy six. You know, Trinidad 84 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: became a colony of the UK in seventeen ninety seven, 85 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: not long after that. Because prior to being under the UK, 86 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: Triniad was under the Spanish, and while being under the 87 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: Spanish were settled by French settlers, so it was like 88 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: Spanish laws French settlers. 89 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,679 Speaker 3: And then later on UK governance. And so the War 90 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 3: of eighteen twelve. 91 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: Which is you know, the war took place between the 92 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: US and the UK, led to some African Americans siding 93 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,799 Speaker 1: with the UK and exchange for emancipation and in exchange 94 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: for their services in that war. 95 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 3: That group of people which became. 96 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: None of the Americans were resettled in South Trinidad and 97 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: actually descended from some of them allegedly. 98 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: So there is this history of. 99 00:05:56,279 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: Exchange taking place between the US and that. 100 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: You know. 101 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: During World War Two, America had military bases established in Triniad. 102 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: We had Wall of Field which was commission in nineteen 103 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: forty one and the Chagrama's Naval Base which was fully 104 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: operational nineteen forty three, and that provided strategic naval and 105 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: air facilities in the Caribbean thanks to the Destroyers for 106 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: Bases agreement with the British. The British got destroyers and 107 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: the US got bases in the British colonies. Now, thankfully 108 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: the base was scale back and eventually decommissioned and return 109 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: into Trinantway was controlled by nineteen sixty three, but that 110 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: took a lot of protest and margin to accomplish. It 111 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: was a whole thing or trying to get Yankee out 112 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: of Trinidad. Yankee did provide some benefits to Trinidad in 113 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: terms of establishing infrastructure for highways and that sort of thing, 114 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: but there was also a not so positive social. 115 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 3: Impact of the American presence. You know. 116 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: One Cllipseion known as the Mighty Sparrow sang in a 117 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: song called Gene and Dina that basically the American presence 118 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: funded a lot of households due to prostitution well, and 119 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: the song was basically about how Jane and Dina had 120 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: to go and find other work now that the Americans 121 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: were leaving. So, after the failure of the West Indies 122 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: Federation and the independence of countries like Jamaica and Trinan 123 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: Tobago from the UK, the location of the former military base. 124 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: Shagarammas also ended up becoming the temporary location of the 125 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: capital of the short lived Westerndies Federation. After the West 126 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: Indies Federation broke apart, Shagrammas became the place where the 127 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: Treaty of Chagaramas was signed between the newly independent countries 128 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: of trinid Tobago and Jamaica and so forth, which established 129 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: Cara con the Caribbean Community and Common Market in nineteen 130 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: seventy three. Caracorm will come up Laza. Cara Coma is 131 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: kind of like if the EU was like entirely toothless 132 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: and didn't really do much of anything. It's like a 133 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: nice idea of trying to get a bit of a 134 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: regional collaboration and inspiration and trade and movement. But it's 135 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: still more expensive to go between Irelands than it is 136 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: to go from an island to the US. So Caracoma 137 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: hasn't exactly succeeded in facilitating Ireland movement thus far. But 138 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: Karakome will come up las on right. Trying to Bago 139 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: quiet independence in nineteen sixty two. We became a republic 140 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy six, and we were under the Prime 141 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: ministership of doctor Eric Williams from nineteen sixty two to 142 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one. Now doctor Eric Williams, you know, was 143 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: our first prime minister, and so he's respect in that regard. 144 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: He also wrote Capitalism and Slavery, which was a really 145 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: impactful piece of literature on the you know, role of 146 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: capitalism in the abolition of slavery, or rather the economic 147 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 1: motivations for the abolition of slavery as opposed to the 148 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: claimed moral virtue of the British Empire in abolish and 149 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: slavery when. 150 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 3: It did right, right. 151 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: So he did some good academic work and you know, 152 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: he was instrumental in the establishment of Trinantibago was an 153 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: independent country. But he also suppressed the black power movements 154 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: that took place a little while after we became independent 155 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: because of his failures. He also banned the Trinadian born 156 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: American immigrant commentare otherwise known as totally Carmichael, which is 157 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: like a world renowned socialist and pan aganist. 158 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 3: Right. 159 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: So, through the seventies we had an oil boom and 160 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: we became really really industrialized. 161 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 3: We had another boom in two thousands, and. 162 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: Unlike other Cribean countries, we didn't have to be dependent 163 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: on tourism, and so we ended up going a different 164 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: developmental direction. The thing about the oil booms is they 165 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: really had more to do with sitting happenings in the 166 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: Middle East than really anything that we did. You know, 167 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: the oil room just kind of fell in our lapse 168 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: in that way. Right nineteen eighty three, there was an 169 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: invasion of Grenada by the United States after Maurice Bishop's 170 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: who and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Dominika, Barbados 171 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: and Jamaica called for the US to come an assist 172 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: in devon with this Marxist Leninist getting power in Grenada, 173 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: while Trance, Tobago, the UK, and Kanada criticized the invasion. 174 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: It was a violation of international law according to the 175 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: UN General Assembly, but as usual, the law doesn't really 176 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: apply to the US, so nothing really came out of that. 177 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 3: Otherwise, the relation between. 178 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: The US and Trinanto Bago has been you know, we 179 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: have a lot of trade. You know, we have a 180 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: large diaspora in the US. There's a lot of travel 181 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: between the countries. Most of our tourism comes from the US. 182 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: We have a lot of American based oil and gas 183 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: companies established in Trinidad, and our whole consumerist culture is 184 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: basically a copy in many ways of what the US does. 185 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: When they sneeze, we catch a cool as the saying goes, Yeah, 186 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: I know, I'm establishing a lot of context, but it's 187 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: together an idea of how we are where we are 188 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: right now. Right, So, next to do or to Trinad, we 189 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: have Venezuela, and we really had this sort of diplomatic 190 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: relationship going on with Maduro and the USA at the 191 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: same time under the former Prime Minister, doctor Keith Roudi, 192 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: who was of the same party as our. 193 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 3: Fust prime minister, doctor RK. Williams. 194 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: Right with the issues taking place in Venezuela right now, 195 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: there's been a large influx of migrants from Venezuela living 196 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: in Trinato Bago, right, well, mainly Triniad. Yeah, right, I 197 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 1: have a lot of Venezuelans now live in Trinad, some 198 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: of them legally, some of them illegally. Prior to that 199 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: recent wave, and by recent I'm talking like twenty sixteen, 200 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,839 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. Prior to that wave, we had Venezuelans in 201 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: trond that and we had Trinadians in Venezuela because you. 202 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 3: Know we're neighbors, right, it's close. 203 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: You know, see, you had Trinadians involved in the mining 204 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: sector in Venezuela. You had Venezuelans involved in the cucoa 205 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: plantations in Trinidad. 206 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 3: So we've always been a very. 207 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 1: Mixed up group, right right, And this idea of strict 208 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: border control between the countries is a very recent, politically 209 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: motivated situation. Now with everything going on in Latin America 210 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: thanks to the US intervention and the US is constantly 211 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,439 Speaker 1: failing war on drugs, we have a lot of violence 212 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: passing between our territories, you know, guns, drugs, human trafficking, 213 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: as I mentioned. Yeah, and then Venezuela now is I 214 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: mean their hands are not clean. I'm not saying any 215 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: country's hands are cleaning this. I'm not trying to pain 216 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: into good guy bad guy ecotomy. You know, Venezuela is 217 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: still whole and strong to this claim that they have 218 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: from since before their independence, that like more than half 219 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: of Guyana actually belongs to them. Guyana, by the way, 220 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: is an English speaking Caribbean culture country border in Venezuela, 221 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: Surinam and Brazil. So Guyana recently explored and discovered a 222 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: bunch of offshore reserves, which you know they're really excited 223 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: to capitalize upon. And you know they have a lot 224 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: of deals and agreements taking place with that is concerned 225 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: all of a suchen. Venezuela's like, you know that piece 226 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: of land that we've long been saying is ours, Yeah, 227 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,719 Speaker 1: that that really is ours. And they started, you know, 228 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 1: they're putting out maps claiming that most of Guyana is 229 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: actually Venezuela and all these different So it's a very 230 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: it's a very threatening situation because Venezuela is a military 231 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: power in its own right, right Guyana, Trinidad, we don't 232 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: have much military prowess. So in a sense, I understand 233 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 1: why both Trinidad and Guyana are cozying up with the 234 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: US right now. But at the same time, this recent 235 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: administration's cozying up has not been the most tactful, you know, 236 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: because we do have a diplomatic approach that has worked 237 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: well for US for a very long time. Now, the 238 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: argument could be made that maybe that diplomatic response, a 239 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: diplomatic balance cannot be maintained forever. Our you know, neutrality 240 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: cannot persist as things are heating up in the region. 241 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: But we had an opportunity to respond carefully, to respond 242 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: in a measured fashion to the US's recent move with 243 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: bombing the alleged drug vote, and we did not do that. 244 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a pretty squndid chance to just like say, 245 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 2: you know, we should respect international law here and and 246 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 2: you know, like the easiest thing to say would be like, 247 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 2: there's a set of prostigious for doing this, we could 248 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 2: follow them. Yeah, it's not hard to say that. 249 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: That that that deal we had with Venezuela, that was 250 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: a deal that we were able to negotiate Underbider. That 251 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: was the deal that when Trump came into power, he 252 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: just took back. He was like, nah, y'all can't do 253 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: that anymore. So with Trump going and this either with 254 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: US or against US, kind of direction, that calls for 255 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: extra you know care and you know you kind of 256 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: dealing with a bomb that you're. 257 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 3: Trying to work around, right. Yeah. 258 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: But in the same year that Trump got elected, Camera 259 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: Pasada Prossessor, our current prime minister, got elected. You know, 260 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: she's known for being reckless, she's known for being a 261 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: bit of a drunkard. She's passionately pro Trump. She was 262 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: a COVID conspiracist. In the vein of one of her 263 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: famous coats is sunlight will kill Covid. She's passionately pro us, 264 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: passionately anti Murduru, passionately racist, and very much anti cara Com. Okay, 265 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: right now, there's a bit of a history there because 266 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: Trinid and Guyana two Cribean countries with very large East 267 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: Indian populations, as in Indians from India. Yeah, when the 268 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: Western News Federation was getting it start, both Guyana and 269 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: Trinidad's Indian populations had the concern that, considering the rest 270 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: of the Caribbean as black majority, that they will not 271 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: be adequately represented in a West Indies federation. And so 272 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: that sort of opposition to that level of regional unity 273 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: seems to have persisted within some circles of in East 274 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: Indian or Indocribbean politics. 275 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 3: Okay, interesting, not all. 276 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: Right, but some seem to have an opposition to too 277 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,239 Speaker 1: much Caracom involvement because they feel that their voice is 278 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: we drowned out by black people. And I mean there's 279 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: a lot of anti blackness in that community, but that 280 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: is not the subject of this particular episode. So that 281 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: sort of opposition to the West in these federation seems 282 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: to have carried over intopposition towards Caracom. And when there 283 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: was loading out among P and M supporters, which is 284 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 1: the party of Dr Rowley and Doctor Williams, as well 285 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: as something parts momentums taking place, Camela ended up coming 286 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 1: into power, right, And when she came into power. 287 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 3: She's making these moves, making these statements. 288 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: And disregarding cara Com and disregarding cara Comm's opinion, disregarding 289 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 1: cara comm involvement in Trindad's moves and decisions. 290 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 3: As a small country. Cara Com is supposed. 291 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: To be our way of beefing up our voice on 292 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: the international stage. And she basically saying Bun that you know, 293 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: we will do our own thing, right. Yeah, Well, I 294 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: forgot to mention another thing about Kamala, just for a 295 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: bit of context. Cambridge Analytica came into Trinidad and basically 296 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: ran an experiment using our elections to test out some 297 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 1: new strategies they ended up taking into the US. Right, 298 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: they practiced their electoral manipulation in Trinidad, which is how 299 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: Kamla won in the first time she was elected back 300 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: in twenty ten twenty fifteen. It was through collaboration with Cambridgealytica. 301 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: So again yet another connection between the US and Trinidad 302 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: for better and for weeks. 303 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, So what's happening now is that you know, on 304 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 4: the second or September, the US bombed per Rgue and 305 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 4: claim to kill either from people and claimed that. 306 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: It was a drug boat, despite the fact that they 307 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: haven't provided any proof that the footage was extremely grainy, 308 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 1: and even if they did have proof that it was 309 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: a drug boat. Summary execution on the High C's is 310 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: not exactly in line with international law, right right. If 311 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: these are quote unquote violent drug traffickers who are killing 312 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: people and do not these ridiculous things, you're supposed to 313 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: bring them in. You're supposed to interrogate them, You're supposed 314 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: to go through a certain procedure. 315 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 3: Right. Yeah. All the smoke and mirrors about. 316 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: Drugs and fighting drugs and all these different things, it 317 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 1: really is that smoking mirrors, because if it was about that, 318 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: they would be trying to get information to target the 319 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: heart of the operation. 320 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 3: What the US is doing right now is flexing. 321 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, it's flexing their muscles in the region to 322 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: show what it is willing to do. It's trying to 323 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: poke and prod Venezuela corresponding kind so that it has 324 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: the excuse that needs or they further excuse to intervene. 325 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: There was another strike, another boat bombing on the fifteenth 326 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: of September, and there was another strike on the nineteenth 327 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,880 Speaker 1: of September against another boat and it's a very very 328 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: worrying place to be and time to be alive. Right, 329 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, we have Guyana as a player. 330 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: You know, they're still working with US world companies. They 331 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: collaborate with the US. They have this territorial anxiety with 332 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: regards to Venezuela, and they're part of Cara Com. Guyana's 333 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 1: part of Cara Coom trying to you know, work it 334 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: out through that channel and through other channels. 335 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 3: Venezuela, in response to. 336 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: Camera's energy, has basically put out stepmns talking about hey 337 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: this camera laity kind of crazy or show about that 338 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: because if any US missile comes out to Turndad, we 339 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 1: are responding to Trinidad. 340 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: Right, Trinidad is like not the same as the US, right, 341 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 2: like that, it's not like mutually assured destruction exactly. 342 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,239 Speaker 1: So she is, you know, speaking very recklessly and in 343 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: the meantime, the Venezuela's saying in response, you know, if 344 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: any sort of US incursion is launched out of Trinidad, 345 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: which she invited by the way, she said, he US 346 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: could based whatever they want and here if they want 347 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 1: to be a standing ready we right. I don't know 348 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: where she got this WII from, but she's saying, oh, yeah, 349 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: they could come and they could you know, launch stuff 350 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: from here. And Venezuela's like, you're talking kind of crazy 351 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: right now. You should care about your citizens because we 352 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: know your citizens don't like what you're doing, So why 353 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: are you doing this kind of thing? Yeah, And it's 354 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: bigger than just Venezuela love the US and Trinidad, because 355 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: Venezuela is also aligned with Russia. Right, it's I believe 356 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: Russia's only ally in the Western hemisphere. 357 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, right. 358 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: And while the drug is and the CRIMESU is a 359 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,360 Speaker 1: significant concern, most of the drugs are coming from Columbia 360 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: in the first place, which the US is not currently targeting. 361 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 4: Right. 362 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, as I mentioned earlier, 363 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 1: it seems to be coming down to regime change and 364 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: resources and the control of Venezuela's resources. You know, we 365 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: are now in a situation where our fishermen are having 366 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: to stay home out of fail oh geez, that their 367 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: fishing boats could be struck out of the water. Yeah, yeah, 368 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 1: you know, we are in a situation where Camera's fan 369 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: base is just as Trumpian and cultish as the Marca 370 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 1: based seemingly seems to be perfectly fine with what's going on, 371 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 1: although in some ways I think that that might even 372 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: be astroturfed or inflated artificially, because there was recently an 373 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: exposa that determined a lot of the pro unc which 374 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: is Camera's party, the pro unc pro Kamela buzz that 375 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,959 Speaker 1: occurs on social media. It's bot driven, Like you go 376 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: into these profiles and their bots just you know, fake names, 377 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: fake profer pictures, ai posts. 378 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 2: Oh geez. Yeah, yeah, it's just entirely fabricated. 379 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: This is also at a time when the US is 380 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: building a massive embassy in our country, when cameras seemingly 381 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: open in the floodgates to military collaboration with the US, 382 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,199 Speaker 1: where we are dealing with our own economic wos and 383 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: crime wars and so on. And you know, we also 384 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,199 Speaker 1: have the largest Chinese embassy in the region, and we 385 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: have a lot of collab with China. We recently made 386 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: moves to recognize Palestine, with a Palestinian diplomat now reside 387 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: in the country. It feels like we are putting ourselves 388 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,479 Speaker 1: in a very risky position and whether or not we 389 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: could have done more or less to get out of 390 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: this position, you know, considering the US has its backyard 391 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: policy with regard to the rest of the Americas, with 392 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: regard to the fact that Trump has created this Department 393 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: of War that the US seems to be feeling around 394 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: as a Dian empire. Does the fact that the criptman 395 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,479 Speaker 1: has been called out so frequently with violence in an 396 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: effort to manufacture consent for what seems to be coming next, 397 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: With the fact that there was a field intervention to 398 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:29,479 Speaker 1: overthrow Maduro in the past, known as Operation Gideon, right 399 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 1: back in twenty twenty, all this has me a but stressed. 400 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there was a particularly insane attempt to 401 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 2: throw Madeira in twenty twenty, right, the Silver Core thing. 402 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, they had this American security firm and some 403 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: Venezuelan diccidents just they tried to infiltam as well by 404 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: see and basically as soon as they landed, they got arrested. 405 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I think some of them got detained by 406 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 2: Venezuelan fishermen who realized it only had BB guns. It 407 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 2: sucks that, Like having spent time in Venezuela and with 408 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 2: Venezuelan people a lot, you know, for years now, it's 409 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 2: Venezuelan people who are going to pay the price for 410 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 2: all of this, right, like it's not and potentially people 411 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 2: in Trinidad and Tobago as well, Like they very clearly 412 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,680 Speaker 2: do not want Maduro to be running their country, right. 413 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 2: It saw that in the election, and we saw that 414 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 2: in the protests after election. They have every reason to 415 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 2: want to leave their country and go somewhere safe, but 416 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 2: that's not possible for many of them. 417 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, like I said, there's a lot of 418 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: Venezuelans in Trinidad right now. Yeah, so any moves that 419 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: advanced with us make, and they're obviously going to make 420 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: with consideration to the fact that they have their own 421 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: people Internet as well. 422 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, And like they're being demonized even though they've 423 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 2: done everything they can to separate themselves from Maduro and 424 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 2: like they are being. 425 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's unfortunately a lot of enophobia in Trinidad. 426 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really sad, like and we see it here too, right, 427 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 2: this allegation that they're all gang members, which is like, 428 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 2: if we think that gang violence is bad in Venezuela 429 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 2: and in parts of Venezuela is bad, then surely it 430 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 2: would make sense to people who don't want any part 431 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 2: in that might leave and go somewhere else. Yeah, and 432 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,959 Speaker 2: rather than supporting them, we're just we're just killing like 433 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 2: the the lowest tier people. Rather like even if we 434 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 2: entertain the idea that the boat could have been carrying drugs, 435 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 2: and when we put aside the fact that that hasn't 436 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 2: been proven or the boats plural the people driving the 437 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 2: boats and other people like making the calls here, Yeah, 438 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 2: they're the people being. 439 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 3: Killed exactly exactly. 440 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,160 Speaker 1: It's the same principle with all these these these drug 441 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: bus and and and gang bus that take place in Dronade. 442 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 3: You know, they go and they roll in and. 443 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: They arrest these small fries, but the big bosses call 444 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:59,959 Speaker 1: them the shots unharmed. Yeah, you know, the multinational criminal 445 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: lambios that aren't moving the people and moving the drugs, 446 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: moving the guns in the region, they're untouched. 447 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, And like even the Maduro's to nephews, like they 448 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 2: were released after they were detained for trying to run 449 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 2: drugs via Haiti, right like, like you say, the people 450 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 2: making the real decisions are largely insulated from all this. 451 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,679 Speaker 2: It's working people in Venezuela who, like, they don't have 452 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 2: other opportunities, right Like, I have heard the most disheartening stories, 453 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 2: especially for Venezuelan fishermen, right Like, their economy is so 454 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 2: bad that they are not able to put fuel in 455 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 2: their boats. It wouldn't be economical to put fuel in 456 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 2: their fishing boats. Even if they caught a full load 457 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 2: of fish, they wouldn't be able. No one has any 458 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 2: money to buy the fish at a high price, so 459 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 2: they can't pay for the film. This is a country 460 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 2: which sits on a massive oil reserve, but yeah, yeah, 461 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 2: people can't afford to put fuel in their fishing boats. 462 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 2: Like you know, these people are victims of a system 463 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 2: that has left them with very few opportunities, and the 464 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 2: way we're responding is by killing them and by destabilizing 465 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 2: a whole part of the world that no one, no 466 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,679 Speaker 2: one asked for this there, you know, apart from apparently 467 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 2: your Prime minister. 468 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I mean This was a very rambly episode, 469 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: more ambley than my usual, But I just wanted to 470 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: get the word out on what's going on in my 471 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: corner of the globe, to let the Americans and aodiance 472 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: know to you know, please do what you can to 473 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: stand to speak out against this American intervention. 474 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 3: YEA, educate yourself from what's going on. For trainees who 475 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 3: may be in the audience, you know, probably hunkered down 476 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 3: and have a crisis bag or emergency bag set up 477 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 3: if worst comes to us and everyone else, really just 478 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 3: getting knowledge and do what you can. 479 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: In your area to disrupt this machine. Yeah, yeah, that's 480 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: it for me, All powers, all the people, peace. 481 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 5: It could Happen Here is a production of cool Zone Media. 482 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 5: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 483 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 5: coolzonmedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 484 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 5: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 485 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 5: now find sources for it Could Happen here listed directly 486 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 5: in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening.