As Venezuela's economy collapses, a tide of lawlessness is spreading to
the nearby island of Trinidad. Its fishermen now live in fear of
Venezuelan pirates, discovers Colin Freeman, while Venezuelan smugglers exchange drugs and guns for basic necessities.
If your idea of a tropical paradise is based on what you've seen in
tourist brochures, the coastline of south-west Trinidad will not
disappoint. Golden beaches and coconut groves? Tick. Sleepy villages,
full of fishermen snoozing under palm trees? Tick. A relaxed, laid-back
vibe? Hmm. Actually, no.
Take a closer look in villages like Fullarton, and you'll notice a few
things seem out of place. For one, why have so many of the fishermen got
200 horsepower engines on their boats, when 75 is more than enough? And
why, when they go out fishing at night, do none of them put lights on
any more?
The answer, as fisherman Gerry Padarath explains from his beachside
hammock, is pirates.
"We're all scared of them now," he tells me. "There's been about 50
fishermen in the village who've had run-ins with them, either being
robbed or kidnapped. Our only chance is to fish in the dark, so they
don't see us, or buy bigger engines so we can outrun them."
Hang on... Pirates? In the Caribbean? That was 300 years ago, wasn't it?
Back when men like Blackbeard and Calico Jack sailed these waters. So
far, the only pirate I'd seen in Trinidad was a picture of Captain Henry Morgan. And he was on a bottle of rum.
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-47003108
--
/jat
Knowledge will set you free
El conocimiento te hará libre
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)