By Tony Deyal
“Maduro boosts troops after lethal US strike: Tensions soar in Caribbean.” The increase in his boost and troops was not the only thing that the “Trinidadexpress.com” added in today’s newspaper. It put the other issue for us to know the “US Reaffirms ties with T&T.” Well I was having T and when I saw what the other “T”, Trinidadexpress.com, I went for two teas, one after the other, to spend time checking the newspapers to go beyond tea for two and two for tea. I wanted to know whether I was right from the beginning.
Having failed to grab Guyana, the Venezuelans, not having the same link as the previous prime minister and his staff, would now consider whether T&T will cause us to go to sleep. Obviously, the link with the US eases up the tension with us in T&T, but in other Caribbean countries, there is increasing anger because Venezuela is part of the region.
Interestingly, the Puerto Rico Governor, Jennifer González, made it clear, “We thank President Trump and his administration for recognising the strategic importance of Puerto Rico to US national security and for their fight against drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro.” Worse, he called the T&T boss, “Drunk woman governing Trinidad.” In other words, the US and others see Maduro as “Mad-uro.”| When I was ten years old in 1955, I was sent to school in Port-of-Spain because the principal of our school in central Trinidad had been moved there to a bigger and better school.
My aunt, in whose home I spent considerable time, made me put a few cents whenever I had any at all, at the nearby Penny Bank (really Trinidad Co-operative Bank). Eventually, in 1993, the Penny Bank was linked by the Government with two other banks- the Workers’ Bank and the First Citizens’ Bank. They then named the group, “The First Citizens’ Bank.” Some of the regional countries seem to be so worried about what would happen to them without oil in their coil. What Mad-uro’s folks say about the Trini PM is not a big deal with many Caribbean folks. Several of them feel that “she ‘look’ for that.” Even though they know that water is better than fire, oil comes first to other leaders in the region.
While it is important to have the support of Trump to help protect T&T against Mad-uro, there is a cost that will never end, fortunately or unfortunately. But at this stage, T&T has to grin and bare it, even though the two options and four-letter words. Unfortunately, despite her link with Trump and going after Mad-uro, especially to support Guyana, if necessary, the PM of Trinidad has been considered by the other “Trini” group as being against different groups and organisations.
First, there was Dr Kirk Meighoo, the public relations officer of the United National Congress (UNC), who was hit for six or more by readers who did not agree with him at all. Then the prime minister and the opposition leader had an ongoing problem about a “no-show” and the PM’s person said that he “wanted to caution the OL against using religious occasions to score cheap political points.” Well, it seemed to everyone that he was either hard or heard.
I was thinking, and hoping, to follow the perfect design from start to finish using the Sound of Music by Julie Andrews, the British Acting legend. Her song went, “Let’s start at the very beginning/ A very good place to start/ When you read, you begin with/ A-B-C/ When you sing, you begin with do-re-mi/ Do-re-mi.” The problem I have as a writer is that when you read my column you will begin with A/B/C, but in this case, as we say in Trinidad and other regional places, “Catch a crab.” Worse, when as the writer I try to go with ‘Do-re-mi’ the people who are angry with my writing about this problem will prefer “Go-Toh-Knee” or worse, “Throw-Two-Nee.” But let us try knowing that this story does not follow ABC, not even from school days. I am not calling as I see it, so much as not knowing who is saying what to whom for what.
The first thing I read was by “afraraymond.net” (Afra Raymond, Charted Surveyor) with a letter-to-the-editor, “Query on Republic Bank’s board: We are witness to the sudden replacement of First Citizen’s Group CEO Karen Darbasie and its entire board, so are we therefor to expect that the Republic Finance Holdings CEO and board is to be similarly, summarily replace? If not, why not?”
From what I read, Karen Darbasie, the chief executive officer of the First Citizen Bank, did not resign from her position. However, her ‘boss’ Swaratsingh on August 20, with advice from his Attorney General, wrote to Darbasie, “I accept your letter of resignation from First Citizens Bank.” She then made it clear that she did not state that she was resigning and provided what she considered what she expected if she was to retire on May 29, 2025. Who tell her to say so! Swarathsingh immediately told her, “You are now required to proceed on paid vacation with immediate effect, rather than on September 01, 2024, as initially discussed.”
Swarathsing also demanded that she had to back up and leave the First Citizen Bank immediately. Worse, he demanded that she return all devices. Then the bank’s chairperson, Anthony Smart, and his “board” met very quickly and approved vacation leave for Darbasie for the period August 21, 2025, to October 21, 2025. The board then put another person as the Group leader instead of Jason Julien, who had initially been expected to be the next leader, Then, to add the final blow, they then created and brought in a new “board” led by Smart but without any of the previous members.
In trying to understand why all this happened, especially to Karen Darbasie, I had to go back to my early days in the city. Darbasie had both a business administration from the University of Warwick and a Master’s Degree from the University of Essex before she took over as CEO of First Citizen. She was an esteemed leader prioritising employees and customers to effective leadership. Then the finance minister, under the new PM, dumped her and others in one blow. For me, it seemed to be the end of an important road going forward and now due to go not just backwards but upside down. When I was ten years old in 1955, I went to school in Port-of-Spain, because the principal of our school in central Trinidad to a top school in Port-of-Spain.
My aunt, in whose home I spent considerable time, made me put cents in the Bank whenever I had any at all, at the nearby Penny Bank (really Trinidad Co-operative Bank). Eventually, in 1993, the Penny Bank, together with the Workers’ Bank and the First Citizen’s bank to become “The First Citizen’s Bank.” Now, it is clear to me and other people that this is not just the last First Citizen but one without “Citi” or “Zen.” Considering that Zen is the core practice of meditation, all that we can expect is Cit.
*Tony saw this as, “What goes up must go dong.”
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