Trinidad y Tobago repatria a 35 venezolanos que iban con bebé que murió / 35 Venezuelans repatriated after February 6 incident
SAN JUAN.- El Ministerio de Seguridad Nacional de Trinidad y Tobago informó este viernes de la repatriación de 35 de los 39 migrantes venezolanos que fueron detenidos el pasado 6 de febrero, cuando los guardacostas trinitenses dispararon contra una embarcación matando a un bebé.
Las autoridades locales, junto a representantes de la Embajada venezolana en Trinidad y Tobago, registraron al grupo para asegurarse de que ninguno de los migrantes era víctima de tráfico humano, según la nota.
La madre del bebé, que resultó herida durante el incidente con los guardacostas se recupera de sus lesiones en un hospital del país caribeño y se encuentra ya fuera de la unidad de cuidados intensivos.
La familia Santoyo Sarabia quiere que el Ministerio de Seguridad Nacional les otorgue permisos para permanecer en Trinidad y Tobago y no ser deportados, según anunció este jueves su abogado.
El letrado Blaine Sobrien dijo que sus clientes son «refugiados y hay familiares del bebé en Trinidad y Tobago que no pueden regresar a Venezuela porque algunos de ellos eran miembros de las fuerzas armadas y si regresan pueden enfrentar la cárcel o ser asesinados».
El objetivo es la reunificación familiar en Trinidad y Tobago, donde ya vive el padre del niño fatalmente tiroteado y otros parientes.
EFE
35 Venezuelans repatriated after February 6 incident
The National Security Ministry said this morning, 35 of 39 Venezuelan nationals who were held for allegedly entering Trinidad and Tobago illegally on February 6, were deported.
The development comes after a high-sea chase on February 6 in Trinidadian waters in which Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) officials, allegedly in self-defence, opened fire on a vessel containing undocumented migrants with women and children, leading to the death of a nine-month-old baby who was shot in the head.
The Ministry said prior to repatriation, the group was “screened by competent authorities” as well as Venezuelan Embassy representatives to ensure “that there were no victims of human trafficking amongst them”.
The Ministry said cooperation with Venezuelan authorities was maintained throughout the exercise.
The Ministry said the TTCG ensured that “all of its efforts were in keeping with the highest standards of professional conduct, consistent with the government’s policy and laws of Trinidad and Tobago”.
In a statement on February 6, TTCG said it opened fire on the engines of the vessel after attempting to intercept it near Trinidad’s south coast – the TTCG said the vessel allegedly tried to ram one of its ship boats which had been deployed to assist with the interception.
The TTCG said the women and children in the vessel were not visible until after the shooting.
The child’s mother was injured in the incident and taken to hospital for treatment.
Several organisations, including the the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF have called for an investigation into the incident.
Loop News