Another look at 1990 coup

In addition, and this is crucial, why had no action been taken to forestall the attempted coup, when there had been ample information contained in a newspaper article published several weeks before July 27 that a container of arms and ammunition had landed in Trinidad and had been allowed to be unstuffed several miles from the port of entry? Is it not possible that had the authorities moved with dispatch when the article on the arrival of the container with arms had been published, they would have discovered not only the name of the Customs and Excise officer, who authorised the unstuffing and actually supervised it, but the exact location where the unstuffing took place along with the location of the arms.

At the time, because there was not enough room at any of the nation’s ports to effectively handle the huge volume of containers arriving in Trinidad, arrangements had been made for the unstuffing of containers at authorised points, away from the port of entry. These places were usually warehouses owned by the relevant importers and Customs and Excise officials were specially assigned to direct the process. In this specific case the container of arms and ammunition had been reportedly, directed by the Customs and Excise officer to be taken and emptied at an unauthorised place. This advice was detailed in the pre-July 27, 1990 article.

The question arises as it must: How was the container allowed to be shipped to Trinidad when even a minimum check would have discovered the presence of arms and ammunition? For the record, the bulk of the weapons, reportedly, could not have been used as was subsequently found out. What has troubled many observers over the years has been why was the coup attempt not prevented? There is no valid reason why the attempted coup should have taken place and all the anguish, which followed, allowed. The action, one of the most serious in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, must take its place as one of the nation’s most frightening moments, including the so-called Black Power uprising and the revolt of the military, which it triggered.

And while the leaders of the attempted coup, known and unknown, will not be forgiven by history, nonetheless, any Inquiry should seek to question as well those, who although they resided outside of our twin-island State, actively encouraged it and participated through the supply of arms and ammunition. The July 27, 1990 coup attempt must be condemned.

The attempt to overthrow then Prime Minister, ANR Robinson, along with the manoeuvring, manipulating of people and minds somehow reminded of the carefully executed destabilisation of the Government of former Jamaican Prime Minister, the late Michael Manley, because his assumption of the role of one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement had been disapproved.

Meanwhile, although several newspaper articles have been written over the years of Trinidad and Tobago being blocked by the action of Trinbagonian officials from achieving membership in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) through devious stratagems adopted, on behalf of a Third Party, yet relatively few appear to be aware of this. In turn, this country, years before the above took place, could have been one of the early members of OPEC, when it was proposed by Venezuela. This, however, was frustrated as all of the oil companies operating here at the time were foreign owned. The benefits would have been tremendous. But I have strayed.

On Monday, Trinidad and Tobago will commemorate the 19th anniversary of the attempt to overthrow the ANR Robinson-led NAR Administration. And while a full and comprehensive Inquiry should be held into the event, this will not take place because such an Inquiry would be inimical to powerful overseas interests. The questions and their answers would be too damning. For example: Who persuaded the ordering of the weapons, bullets and shells? Who had the authority to facilitate their being shipped without a thorough check of the container’s cargo? What has emerged is that there were, probably, two container shipments, with the crucial consignment being the one that, according to reports, landed at the Port of Pointe-a-Pierre!

Memories would have faded with respect to the name of the Customs and Excise officer, who arranged for the Pointe-a-Pierre landed container to be cleared of its contents. Still, any Inquiry may be able to determine which came first, the organising of the attempted coup or the decision by the arms providers to intervene in a horrific manner in the internal affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.