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And indeed that may be the case, but, in politics, it's hard to win when you're constantly playing defence. And that's how it is in the Ministry of Immigration, where for decades ministers have lurched from one scandal to the next. Perdomo told Jules Vasquez that sometimes it's so overwhelming he just wants to cry.

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"I wouldn't say that I regret giving service in that area because it was a challenge to try to avoid as much corruption as possible. You can start with yourself but you can't guarantee down the line. But there have been moments that I have regretted. But it's not like regret serving. But it's regret like when you find out about those planes landing, you feel like cursing, you feel like, you say man, you tried your best and, as they say in creole, 'things gone to bed' and you are under pressure for somebody else's involvement in things like that. So I don't regret serving, I don't regret being challenged with it but there are moments that I feel like cry."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, you have before been victimized by the whims of public opinion. Do you fear that with again a rising chorus of disapprobation against you that you may again be victimized and next thing you hear Minister Perdomo loses the immigration portfolio?"

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"Well I am going to try hard not to do it, not to let it occur and that's why I am trying to clarify. I think I have learnt from the experience with the police that you have to be a little bit more assertive in trying to defend what others are obviously using politically to malign and to hurt. Before, I guess it was because of my personality or that you say that you will not listen to them, or we are trying our best, but sometimes it doesn't work when you have very disrespectful people that will want to mash your head."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, having been burnt already by this, will you be extra judicious when the resumption of those services in Havana starts?"

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"Well I will try hard to lobby for it not to happen."

Jules Vasquez
"You want that permanently shut down?"

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"Yes, but it's not fully 100% my decision but I would recommend that they do it (issue visas) through the British Embassies where we have that arrangement."

Jules Vasquez
"Would you accept the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate immigration practices under your tenure?"

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"I wouldn't go that far but I would definitely thinking of embarking on an upgrading and reforming the immigration act so that we can put more teeth into some of those same supervisory and monitoring elements that we spoke about just now."

Jules Vasquez
"But you can see the practical difficulty of investigating yourself."

Carlos Perdomo, Minister of Immigration
"Well of course that is always a problem but to do the reform you really don't have to come up with a commission of inquiry. You can get expertise, you can get people from outside or inside the department to see how we can strengthen it."

The prime minister has said he does not support a commission of inquiry because in the most recent scandal, confessions have been made by key players and government does not have money to waste.