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OPPOSITION Senator Dr Amery Browne has accused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of using the phrase “Putting TT First” as empty political "sloganeering," lacking meaningful action or alignment with international law, diplomacy, and national interest.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Opposition Leader’s Office on Charles Street, Port of Spain on September 25, he said the prime minister's frequent use of that phrase has become a rhetorical shield, deployed to deflect criticism while she simultaneously undermines national and regional values.
He said as Persad-Bissessar prepares to deliver a national statement at the UN General Assembly on September 26, he urged her to provide clarity on TT’s position on international law, regional relations and global humanitarian issues, including TT support for Palestine.
“When challenged on any point, she simply throws in the phrase ‘I believe in putting TT first.’ But when you look behind that slogan, there’s little to support it,” Browne claimed.
The former foreign affairs minister questioned whether recent government actions, such as public statements about regional partners, the cancelling of Independence Day celebrations, and years-long absences from national commemorations as opposition leader, truly reflect the slogan the PM is throwing around.
He described government firings as “concerted” efforts against low-income workers, and alleged “attacks” on independent senators as examples of actions that contradict the spirit of putting country first.
“This is the same Kamla Persad-Bissessar who once commended putting party before country,” Browne said.
He expressed concern over the government’s foreign policy posture, particularly regarding ongoing tensions with Venezuela and the use of inflammatory language.
“The type of rhetoric being deployed, talk of ‘blowing them to pieces,’‘kill them all violently,’ and referring to the deceased as ‘carcasses,’ is unbecoming of any head of state,” he said, referencing Persad-Bissessar’s comments following a US strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat from out of Venezuela.
Browne believes bilateral tensions with Venezuela are worsening, with potential long-term implications for energy, security, deportation co-ordination and trade.
He stressed routine co-ordination between the TT Coast Guard and Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional has been “adversely affected” due to “reckless and irresponsible” statements from the government.
“We had built a quiet but effective protocol for repatriation and deportation. That seems to have broken down. And who wins in that scenario?” he asked.
He said the PM's statements not only erode diplomatic relations with neighbouring states like Colombia and Venezuela but also breach international humanitarian obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
“It’s a matter of international law. Article 17 requires the dead to be properly interred. Article 8 of Additional Protocol II demands that all measures be taken, without delay, to decently dispose of the dead. These are not optional.”
He stressed TT has a responsibility to uphold these laws, particularly as a member of the United Nations and a founding contributor to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Browne also questioned what he believes is Persad-Bissessar’s discomfort with regional multilateral language such as “zone of peace,” a key tenet of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and Caricom, both of which TT belongs to.
“She embraces one slogan but resists another. We stand firmly behind the Caribbean as a zone of peace, and we reject any attempt to dilute that commitment.”
He called on Persad-Bissessar, who also serves as the lead Caricom head on regional security, to give an account of her stewardship.
“There has been no reference to her convening regional security meetings, no evidence sharing, no updates, yet she's about to address the UN General Assembly,” Browne said.
He said while the opposition welcomes her participation at the UN this week, her absence from the Caricom Heads of Government meeting and the Caricom-Africa Summit earlier this year was troubling.
Browne concluded by warning against the dangers of slogans replacing sound governance.
“Catchphrases like ‘Put TT First’ are reminiscent of other leaders globally who used similar rhetoric while violating domestic and international law. We’ve seen where that leads: charges at the ICC, international condemnation, and national instability,” he said, referencing recent charges against former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte.
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