Child died after being shot by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard

The incident occurred while they intercepted a boat in which Venezuelan migrants were traveling illegally

Darielvis Sarabia, 23 years old, He decided to embark with his two children on a boat bound for Trinidad and Tobago, on February 5.

Other adults and children were on the boat, about whom there is no information. It is estimated that there were 20 people.

When they arrived at their destination, it was night and only one of their children was alive. His one-year-old and four-month-old baby died when he was hit by the bullets fired by the Trinidadian immigration authorities.

Sarabia is recovering at a hospital, located on Ojoe Road, called Sangre Grande, as she has a gunshot wound to her collarbone. His daughter is in the hands of the Trinidad Coast Guard.

From the starting point, in the state of Delta Amacuro, Venezuela, approximately six to ten boats set sail daily with Venezuelans fleeing the crisis.

The event occurred on Saturday at midnight, at the time when agents were aboard the military vessel TTS Scarborough. The security team detected a ship that crossed the border between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

At that moment, they realized that the boat was transporting illegal immigrants who were hidden.

family statements

Yermi Santoyo, 28, mourns the loss of her son and insists that she considers that she has lost everything. He points out that the minor was shot to death in his mother's arms.

Santoyo is waiting for the delivery of his son's body to return to his country Venezuela, since he considers that he has nothing left on the island.

The father of the deceased indicates that he has not received information from the authorities, for the delivery of the body. So you feel confused and disoriented.

As for his daughter, he also has no information. However, she is with a friend of Darielvis's, with whom she was on the boat. Both are detained with the other crew members of the boat, but they are fine.

Darielvis's father, Elvis Sarabia, and his brother, Yoelvis Sarabia, are also in Trinidad and Tobago. They reported that they have not seen the little girl even once. Nor do they give them any answer, they only know that they are detained, but they do not know where.

The father of the little ones regrets that he made the decision to go to the island to provide a better future for his children, and they have to go through this terrible situation.

Statements from Trinidad and Tobago

The Trinidadian Coast Guard issued a statement in which it acknowledged having shot at the boat's engines. However, they did not mention responsibility for the child's death.

The authorities indicate that the boat rammed the patrol boat on different occasions.

Therefore, the crew decided to shoot the engines, in self-defense, since they had for their lives, and thus make them stop.

They also indicated that possible methods were used, such as: ship's horn, megaphone, flares, searchlight, to try to make the boat stop, but those on the boat decided to continue to avoid the situation.

Position of Trinidad and Tobago

Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, expressed his condolences to Venezuela, after the local Coast Guard murdered the 4-year-old boy, who was trying to migrate to that country with his mother.

In a statement, released by his official Facebook page, he expressed his condolences on behalf of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago, for the unfortunate loss of the child in the security operation.

The prime minister held talks with Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of Venezuela, and promised that he would expedite the visa of Edmund Sillón, Venezuelan ambassador, to hold a meeting with officials from the Trinidadian Coast Guard.

Rowley is certain that this meeting will allow for better collaboration and communication with the Venezuelan government regarding migrant smuggling trips, illegal arms trafficking, and drug trafficking.

He asked that the Venezuelan brothers stop risking their lives and those of others in the smuggling of migrants.

Statement of Organizations

The United Nations (UN), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), issued a joint statement to mourn the tragedy.

The UNHCR-IOM Joint Special Representative for Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees, Eduardo Stein, said they are deeply saddened and convey their sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the little boy and hope for a speedy recovery of the injured.

He also assured that no one wanting to seek a better quality of life should go through this.

The representative reported that this event indicates the difficult situation that a person who is moving on a dangerous trip, in search of their safety and tranquility, can experience.

UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jean Gough, stated that no migrant child should die while traveling alone or with their parents. Just as no mother expects to risk the lives of her little ones on the high seas, unless this is the only option.

Stein adds that for these kinds of tragedies to stop happening, more safe pathways for migrants and refugees are needed.

On behalf of the four UN agencies, a call was made to the States to establish certain mechanisms in which they grant help to protect the rights of all people on the move, including the right to have access to regularization and asylum procedures..

Background

The clandestine departures have left as a result, hundreds of missing and deceased people since 2018. These crossings are made in precarious boats, in which there are overweight and a maritime route of 120 kilometers between them.

According to results from the United Nations, more than five million Venezuelan citizens have decided to emigrate since 2015. 25 thousand of them reside in Trinidad and Tobago.

For this reason, the Caribbean country has decided to tighten the deportation policy to prevent the illegal entry of people. Its inhabitants live under assault by illegals and use innocent children for their goals.