Venezuelan women had been in Bartica a long time

Dear Editor, In my observance of matters relating to article carried by your news outlet with the headline ‘Venezuelan women say they are here for jobs to feed starving children’. There is a lack of appropriate detail and I’m inclined to wonder why. What I didn’t notice is where, when and how those nine women were detained. Looking at the details of the report, the fact that they went undetected in a small community for six months leaves me with more questions especially in relation to our security and enforcement.

Upon my own investigation what I gathered is that the women, whether they were trafficked, or working regular jobs were around for a long time and were detained in Bartica after what was supposedly a “house raid” by the police at a house they occupied very openly as living quarters.

That said house is located one building from the house the Divisional Commander has occupied for more than two years in the same area. Hence there are more questions, especially in relation to the performance of local law enforcement. One has to question why those women were detected now that the Minister of Public Security announced a “clamp down” on certain illegal activities, especially on human trafficking and prostitution.

Why was no raid carried out at the nightspot where they worked, with the exception of when Minister Broomes carried out one a few years back? The said women were working at a particular nightspot that is located a few buildings from the police station and the Division headquarters. Yours faithfully, M Khan