Article A10 · Book 1 · Scrapbook page p.10
A trip 'down the Main' is quite normal
—PART 3 OF A SPECIAL SERIES
AS the crow flies, Cedros is about 40 miles from Port-of-Spain. The distance by road is 80 miles and travelling time, because of the condition of the roads, is three hours. But for most Northerners, this is like another country—somewhere in Venezuela, perhaps...
In fact, Cedros residents would insist that their neglect is largely due to the fact that officialdom too often tends to regard them as part of the Mainland across the Gulf.
This is more than just psychologically accurate, since the ordinary fisherfolk of Cedros go "down the Main" more often than they come to Port-of-Spain.
Others, too, unconnected with the sea make occasional trips, like the young schoolteacher at Cedros who spends all his holidays down there.
Hell raised
And hunters from South Trinidad can testify to the fact that there is more on the Main than anywhere else in Trinidad. The game is good, with lappe, agouti and deer abounding.
For years, no one has bothered with the comings and goings of the peninsula people — not until officialdom recently stepped into the picture. Today, Cedros residents are suspicious of strangers who want to find out about going "down the Main".
When Venezuela's Agriculture Ministry official raised hell in Caracas last month, the echoes resounded in Cedros.
This brought out our own man in Caracas, George Daniel, on a flying visit to Guiria, Capure, Port-of-Spain and down to Cedros, to reassure the villagers that things would be all right — at least temporarily.
He spoke to them, gave them his blessings and promised no more than had been promised before — that he would do all in his power to help them. To the residents,
Continued on Page 13
[Continuation box, headed "NEGLECTED CEDROS (From Page 6)"]
therefore, Mr. Daniel has become the latest of the heroes to hearken to their cause.
The limitations he himself faces as a diplomat with regard to policy decisions is lost upon them. They told him everything like they said it to the politicians before. Now the fisherfolk of Icacos want to invite Mr. Daniel down to their own village or are thinking of sending a delegation up to Port-of-Spain to meet him. But they must first find the Fisheries Office somewhere in St. Clair.
Traditionally, there has always been an aura of romance surrounding the activities of fishermen in the Cedros area who could easily be identified with both fishing and "trading"—trading across the Gulf, that is. At the same time, a few Venezuelans have established themselves as regular customers at the older shops in the district.
This activity could properly be defined as smuggling, in effect, small-scale smuggling.
The late Boysie Singh whose fishing operations were taken over by Willie Ramjohn, virtually controlled the trade. Today this kind of activity has either lessened down or become much less overt.
If one knows where to go in Cedros, one can still buy a macaw of "pawee", from "down the Main". And hundreds of crabs from the swamplands in Eastern Venezuela are found on the beach at Bonasse. Even eddoes and ground provisions find their way from Venezuela to Cedros.
The traffic in shirts and shoes has not really stopped, but the Police at Cedros said they were far more concerned about the landing of uncustomed goods, particularly whisky and clothing on the deserted beaches at night time. Recently they have also been worried over the fact that wanted criminals tend to use Cedros as an escape route to Venezuela.
Venezuelans also come down from Capure and Pedernales—some to do regular shopping and others for Carnival. Residents almost take pride in this traffic which has been made possible by the isolated position of Cedros.
But now there are repercussions from Caracas and Port-of-Spain which are threatening to jeopardise this amicably informal but illegal relationship.