WHY IS BILLIONAIRE SOROS SPENDING $$ IN T&T?

WHAT is the interest of George Soros – worth US $6.7 billion – in Trinidad and Tobago?

Soros’ organisation, Open Society Foundations (OSF), signed an agreement with The University of the West Indies in 2020 to “work with like-minded entities” on issues such as climate change, racial injustice, and attacks on democracy.

The size of the subvention to UWI was not revealed.

Nor has there been any word about work done by UWI and OSF on the identified issues.

Who is Soros, and why is he important?

He is the 22^nd richest person in the world, with a long history of philanthropy through non-governmental organisations and of influencing thought in funding important politicians and controlling radio stations.

He has been accused of manipulating governments and undermining national currencies.

Over the years, he has reportedly donated US $32 billion to certain causes and politicians, especially American Democrats, along with special prosecutors.

He is said to have given US $125 million last September to a Democratic fundraising group.

And he reportedly spent US $131 million from 2016 to 2020, to, according to New York Post newspaper, “back literally hundreds of activist media groups that promote his lefty views on crime, gender, and capitalism…”

An organisation with which he is associated has spent US $60 million in buying 18 Hispanic radio stations across the United States, supposedly to push a liberal agenda.

He has bankrolled a number of interests and has even been accused of attempting to destabilise the Catholic Church.

He was born in Hungary in 1930, is a Holocaust survivor, and is a citizen of the United States, where he built his enormous wealth through hedge fund investment and currency speculation.

In 1997, he was accused by Asian governments of destabilising their countries, especially Malaysia and Thailand, through currency speculation.

Soros has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in Latin America, through donations to civic causes and investments in hotels and other ventures.

OSF said that in the Caribbean and Latin America, it seeks to “bolster democratic change by transforming growing public concern about inequality, corruption, violence, and climate change.”

This is being done “through powerful initiatives and alliances.”

In 2021, OSF dished out US $111.2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was 7.2 per cent of its global spending, and 20.7 per cent more than in 2016.

But Soros is a polarising figure.

BBC called him “a divisive figure in global politics.”

A politician in India termed him “an economic war criminal” who “wants companies to determine democracies.”

He claimed that Soros was involved in a subversive effort to remove Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Miami Herald newspaper wrote last week that his money “has earned him enemies, who sometimes portray Soros as a puppet master and a villain.”

The billionaire “speaks with his money,” the newspaper said.

New York Post did a five-part investigation, concluding that Soros is “the most dangerous man in America.”

The newspaper stated that the billionaire “has spent a fortune spreading his influence through US politics, media, and society and leaving us all worse off, and has set up the infrastructure to keep doing so even after he dies.”

Several years ago, Soros moved his financial headquarters to the tax-free haven Curacao, which, according to one critic, is “designed for monied hypocrites who talk one game and play another.”

Critics say he is engaged in insider trading.

An analyst claimed that OSF is “clearly devoted to the eradication of national sovereignty.”

But defenders insist that Soros is committed to good governance and humanitarian causes.

The OSF’s ties with UWI represent Soros’ first official link to Trinidad and Tobago.

There have been no disclosures on spending, achievements, and ultimate goals.

So, the question remains relevant and pressing: What does George Soros want to accomplish in T&T?