PM defends his integrity, says drug dealers out to get him

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has said his plan to end the illicit drug trade between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela has made him a target for drug dealers.

He told supporters on Monday night that the drug dealers are targeting him, not the People's National Movement (PNM), because they know they cannot bribe him.

"Anytime you tackle the drug trade, you are up against a powerful force. They have so much money that they do not count it anymore, they weigh it. And they are not afraid to spend it to continue their nefarious activities," he declared.

"There are drug dealers in this country and I am not calling any names. But the information we have is that they are not so much against the PNM, but against the Prime Minister because that is the man standing in their way.

"You see integrity - that is all I have. I am incorruptible. You cannot buy me, I am not for sale. So I am watching the attacks, but we will see. Stand by, we have some action coming," he warned.

"The Government will not waiver one iota in its commitment to rid this country of the drug trade," he pledged.

Manning appeared to defend the poor record of action against people involved in the drug trade. "Information is not evidence. It is not a simple or straightforward matter. It is not easy to get evidence," he explained.

He said he has also noticed an increase in personal attacks on him in the mass media in recent weeks.

One week ago Manning declared war on the construction sector and spoke about a plan to "kill Manning" politically.

"See what is happening in the newspapers and you realise it is a plan to kill Manning—when I say ‘kill’ I’m not talking about....you know how they like to misunderstand—but we are not prepared to accept the established order, and we are going to fight until we change it," he declared.

Manning added, "They’re coming at me from every angle, but I fear no man."

Read the story: Manning declares construction sector war

The international media have also been writing about the drug trade and the prestigious magazine FOREIGN POLICY devoted a full feature recently to Trinidad and Tobago, which it described as the the news "narco state".

The report, titled 'Trouble in Paradise', stated:

"According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Trinidad and Tobago has become a major transshipment point for illegal substances heading north from South America. Traffickers send cocaine and small arms from Venezuela, just 7 miles off the coast of Trinidad, via fast boat...The drugs are then shipped out on container ships, planes, and private yachts."

It added that the Manning government helps stoke the crime that's is now rivaling the worst cities in the world.

"The country's annual per capita GDP has risen from about $11,000 to $18,800 in the past decade due to strong exports of natural gas and steel...The bulk of this money is ultimately funneled to gang leaders, who administer "grants" and distribute "salaries." Indeed, corruption - always a problem in the country - is reaching new heights," the magazine wrote.

And it also described the country's police force as being highly corrupt.

It cited "a damning unofficial study" carried out by the government in 2009 that suggested that "almost 90 per cent of police officers were regularly involved in illegal activities...Those pursuits ranged from running and selling drugs, to colluding with gangs by renting out weapons to criminals, to performing extralegal killings."

It also said, "despite Manning's saber rattling, Trinidad and Tobago's security teams have not been terribly effective. Trinidad's security forces have never intercepted a cocaine-carrying fast boat or made a significant bust."

Read the report: Trouble in Paradise - what others are saying about TT

Manning recently commission three fast patrol boats and boasted that they would effectively deal with the drug trade. Three others are coming soon.

He spoke Monday about that, suggesting that with the deployment of the boats the drug dealers are getting worried. He promised to end the drug trade between this country and Venezuela with the support of the armed forces.

Manning pledged to make sure that the forces, especially the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, do not become corrupt.