Trinidad Opinion on Guyana's Plight

As an update to my last entry related to Guyana, FreeTrinidad points us to this letter to the Trinidad Express.

...Until early this week, our Prime Minister was blaming his lack of commitment to send aid on his inability to make contact with the President of Guyana. We will all recall that when Hurricane Ivan hit, millions of dollars in aid and anything else were committed even before the damage could be assessed or assistance requested by the relevant governments.

More than that, hundreds of CEPEP workers were dispatched with urgency to help in the clean-up efforts. No one in the country said it was too much. Yet, in reaction to a direct plea for help from Guyana's President in the specific form of pumps to drain the seriously affected areas, our Prime Minister responds by setting up a team to come up with a plan (days ago). I guess, in this instance, he is taking his cue from the international donor agencies.

Would not the humane reaction have been to make immediate arrangements to have, say, three pumps sent in while simultaneously setting your team the task of ascertaining what additional help could be provided? I think that the people of T&T would have interpreted such a move as the right thing to do. Mr Prime Minister, you cannot fool all the people all of the time!

Even if we put aside humanity in responding to Guyana's plight, there are sound economic reasons why T&T should want this country up and running. Almost everything that is produced in T&T can be found on the shelves in Guyana. Trinidadian companies like Ansa McAL have huge real estate and other investments and distribution centres there. In effect, domestic businesses in T&T are significantly affected by the current state of affairs in Guyana. Mr Prime Minister you will in fact be looking after your own people's business by helping Guyana. What then are you waiting for? Some are going to think that Guyana is seen by this government in the same light as is Central Trinidad. That would be a pity.

People of T&T don't be fooled by the media's under-representation of the situation in Guyana. It is now nearly two weeks since people's homes have been flooded. The water is stagnant and the rate of drainage minimal. Action needs to be taken now!

The action should have been taken 2 weeks ago. As I visited my Uncle last night, I heard the 'Honourable' Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning, say that he was dispatching 5 pumps to Guyana and they would be there in a week.

A week to dispatch 5 pumps. Foolishness. Plain foolishness.

Remember to check the Guyana Flood Relief blog for the latest details.