Manning ‘horned’ by a Latin Casanova

This declaration by St Joseph MP, Gerald Yetming, in the House of Representatives yesterday caused a lot of amusement.

Yetming sought to portray the Prime Minister as a victim of unrequited love in the context of the decision of many Caricom countries to sign the Petro-Caribe deal offered by Chavez.

Speaking in the debate on the Variation of Certain Taxes Act, Yetming said he was happy that the State could get more revenues. But he warned that these additional revenues were being spent recklessly both here and abroad.

Using the analogy of a man trying to woo a woman, Yetming said, "You have the Prime Minister courting these islands with billions of our dollars" ("Millions, boss!" corrected Manning) and you have this military-garbed, beret-wearing Venezuelan guy, and he comes and he flashes some dollars and all of them (in Caricom) gone (with him). All of them went! They turn their backs on the man who has been courting them and providing billions." "Millions!" the Government front bench chorused. Yetming got side-tracked into the argument on whether it was billions or millions given in assistance to Caricom countries by Trinidad and Tobago.

He sought to prove this by citing some instances — $375 million for the oil facility; $100 million for a trade support facility. But he got stuck when he included US $200 million in debt forgiveness for Guyana.

At the mention of this, Government MPs leapt forward to let him know in no uncertain terms that that act of generosity was the work of his UNC Government and then Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.

But Yetming was equally quick on the draw. He countered: "No, no, no. We not talking about the Government. (We talking about) The country. The Prime Minister represents the country." "Nah, nah, nah!" Manning responded, laughing.

"When you agree $1.1 million tonnes of LNG at some preferential rate to Jamaica for 20 years at a competitive price that we know nothing about. That translated would be billions," Yetming contended.

The Prime Minister rose at this point to put to rest any idea of billions of dollars in financial aid. Noting that Yetming was "doing well" until he started "exaggerating" the figures, Manning stated, "Trinidad and Tobago could not afford to give billions in assistance to anybody."

After this intervention, Yetming gave up on the billions idea, but he stressed that the main point was that after spending plenty money in courtship, Caribbean governments turned their backs on this country, in favour of the Latin lover.

"Locally, we call that ‘horn,’" he said, getting supportive desk thumping. "And they (the Caricom governments) went (with Chavez) without protection! They didn’t even read the (Petro-Caribe) agreement to see whether they were protected. They just went!" he said, causing more laughter on both sides.

He said Manning did the right thing. "And when he (Manning) upbraided them (Caribbean countries), they turn to him and say ‘You know, we love you. But we want he (Chavez) too. So go and talk to him and let us see if we could have a menage a trois," he said, chuckling loudly.

Yetming said that whatever had to be done to maintain our relationship with our Caribbean brothers, should be done within reason.