Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is demanding more answers from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, as it relates to the shooting death of a migrant child at sea over the weekend.

Nine month old baby boy Yaelvis Santoyo Sarabia died in the arms of his mother, Darielvis Sarabia when the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard opened fire on their vessel as they tried to intercept it. Sarabia suffered gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital in stable condition. 

The Coast Guard said in a statement on Sunday, that they fired the shots in self defense as the vessel rammed them as they tried to intercept it.

“All available methods were used including the use of the loud hailer, ship’s horn, searchlight and flares, to try to get the suspect vessel to stop, however, the vessel continued to attempt to evade TTS Scarborough. In keeping with standard protocols, warning shots ahead of the vessel were next employed,” the Coast Guard statement said.

But Persad-Bissessar asks, why other evasive action could not have been taken.

“What a heart breaking thing, to see our Coast Guard…firing on a migrant vessel, murdering a baby. We are making international news because of that. I cannot see- and I await the explanations- I cannot see if you have a migrant vessel and you have women and children there, did they have weapons? Did anyone raise a weapon to you? Why did you have to shoot?”

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has confirmed that a police investigation has been launched into the Coast Guard’s killing of a Venezuelan child at sea over the weekend.

Minister Hinds addressed the matter in the Upper House this morning, in response to an urgent question from the Opposition.