‘Trinidad Businessmen Trafficking Venezuelans for Bodies, Organs’, Says Association

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Trinidadian businessmen are involved in the illegal trade of Venezuelans to this country for the sale of their bodies through prostitution and also sale of their organs.

This statement was made by president of the Latin Association of Trinidad and Tobago, David Edghill, and reported by the Trinidad Express.

“We have a next issue which is the exploitation, human trafficking, organ harvesting, narco and ammunitions trafficking involving the migrants supported by citizens and businessmen of Trinidad and Tobago,” Edghill said yesterday at a news conference at the Anchorage, Chaguaramas.

Edghill said Venezuelans are entering the country illegally and rings of illegal activities are happening without consequence. “The illegal migrants coming into Trinidad is due to the non interest of authorities in our country to put under the law those who are bringing in through our borders migrants illegally,” he said. “We have human trafficking going on in Trinidad and nobody has been locked up,” he added.

The Latin Association, he said, is willing to work with authorities to make things better. “The quality of people coming into Trinidad and Tobago is certainly not qualified professional workers; we are having bandits, narcos, vagabonds running away from Venezuela just to come in here…it is scary, you don’t know who is coming in that boat,” he said.

Edghill said things must be put in order to treat with the criminals and assist the economic migrants who may be in need. He said there must be a process to know what they are here for. “Are they here to kill? Are they here to sell drugs or are they here to work?” he asked, adding that if they are here to work then welcome them and a way will be found to assist.

He said there are economic migrants who are fleeing Venezuela because of the crisis and lack of food.

He said action must be taken against the boat captains and owners who are charging innocent families to come into Trinidad for work, food and housing.

Edghill said the asylum seeking and resettling process is not being properly done. He said the United Nations has to involve itself in relocating these people.

Also speaking at the news conference, the Association’s communications director, Eve George said there is an additional issue with nationals wanting to return to Trinidad. She referred to a Trinidad and Tobago citizen who has been stranded in Grenada since earlier this year. The woman, who preferred not to be named said she is facing hardship in Grenada and claims she is being exploited in order to survive on that island.

Source: Trinidad Express