Dear Editor,
There is something deeply ironic about the Petrotrin debate today. Some of the very voices that supported its closure now seem to be the loudest calling for its reopening.
But while others debated, one group never stopped fighting: Patriotic Energies.
When the refinery was shut down, these were the men and women who refused to accept that Trinidad and Tobago should simply walk away from one of its most important national assets. If you take a moment to ignore the political rhetoric and examine their actions, their sacrifices and their perseverance, a very different story emerges.
They did more than protest. They put their own money on the table. They took loans and risked their personal financial security. They faced defaults, legal battles and years of uncertainty.
Think about that for a moment. How many people who speak so passionately about reopening Petrotrin today were prepared to take their own time and money to make it happen?
Patriotic Energies was not fighting from the comfort of the sidelines. These were people who had spent much of their working lives building, operating and maintaining that refinery. They understood its value, its potential and what its closure meant for thousands of families.
When the previous government refused to support their efforts to restart the refinery, they did not surrender. They persevered. They fought through the courts, through financial hardship and ultimately through the democratic process, supporting political change in the hope of securing a different future for Petrotrin.
Today, a new government holds the baton and has shown a willingness to work towards restarting the refinery. And suddenly, everyone wants to be part of the conversation.
Let me be clear. The refinery must be restarted on sound commercial principles, with credible financing, proper governance and the highest safety standards. No one should be handed a national asset simply because they fought for it.
But surely, those who risked everything to keep the dream alive deserve more than a seat in the audience. They deserve a seat at the table.
There is a difference between supporting something when success appears possible and believing in it when everyone else has walked away. Patriotic Energies believed when it was unpopular. They persevered when the odds were against them. They put their personal finances on the line when others were unwilling to take the risk.
We must never forget that. It is easy to champion Petrotrin’s reopening today. The real test of conviction was standing up for it when the doors were being closed.
And on that test, Patriotic Energies has already demonstrated its commitment.
Dexter Ragoonath
Cocorite
