Trinidad & Tobago: Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has extended sympathies to the family of Andrea Bharatt, saying he could not imagine their unspeakable grief.
“Tonight, I want to say to Andrea’s family that you are not alone, but we can’t pretend to understand the grief that you are experiencing.
Since the news came that the body was found, a kind of sadness came over me because I am a daddy of two daughters, and I cannot disconnect in the current environment.
The coming together of our nation to say enough is enough might be the first step in the right direction because we are a divided nation, and some people make a career of splitting us.”
Dr. Rowley said the Government continues its work to fight against the criminal elements.
He said, “while we grieve and we hurt, let us not do it without hope … notwithstanding what is taking place, the Government is on the right track in facing down the criminal elements.”
Earlier tonight, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon Faris Al Rawi, announced that he has already drafted legislation for the approved use of pepper spray on the instruction of the prime minister.
Tonight the Prime Minister also called on the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago “to be our brother’s keeper and respect one another.”
He said, “I am happy to see so many people coming out using their physical presence and their expression of anger and disappointment in this instance.
I am very sorry that it took another life for all of us to rise up like this; I am saying if we are rising up like this, it means that when you know something about a criminal in this country, that same attitude will take you to tell the police whether it’s your neighbour or your family.”
“Don’t tell me after you have this vigil and after you express this anger and you make those demands that you will know where a gun is a gun which the next time it barks would be another life and another news and another Andrea.”
