THE EDITOR: The TT intellectuals who hope that we can conditionally import suitably qualified Venezuelans who will magically add substance to our population need to think again.

We do not get to handpick illegal immigrants. This is not the centuries-old acceptance of Venezuelans creeping stealthily into TT and being silently absorbed. We did not mind them then. They weaned themselves into our lives and we learned to love them.

This time around Venezuelan desperation brought on by political problems is impacting the personal safety of TT nationals. Why the fear? Because the global covid19 danger has removed the goalposts where we can sensibly absorb some of our neighbours.

Thousands of Venezuelans now realise that the hands of the TT Santa Claus are tied by personal difficulties brought on by the pandemic.

Venezuelans who want to rerturn home should be assisted as soon as and as best we can.

It is my humble view that the more educated Venezuelans are opting to leave because they understand that the economic flour is indeed thicker than water. We cannot easily provide the quality of life they hoped for. The usual Venezuelan economic poor will quietly remain.

The talk is not about xenophobia. We have no idea how covid19 will morph in the future. The First World has decided to stingily donate some vaccines to the Third World.

This so-called generosity could immediately disappear should the virus rear its ugly head. It could be in 2022, 2023, 2024, we have no idea. All the First World countries are doing is ensuring that their economies are not going to be poisoned by deadly Third World fumes.

Even as I write England has delayed full resumption of the reopening of its economy for a further four weeks because of a rise in viral infections.

So what are we in sweet TT? Powerful stupid?

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin

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