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Starlite has responded to a public boycott call from Government Senator and Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Edward Alexander after a dispute over parking spaces outside the pharmacy gained attention on social media. Alexander published a video showing several traffic cones positioned in parking spaces outside the Starlite outlet while the business was closed. In the recording, Alexander questioned why the spaces were being reserved for pharmacy customers when people attending a gym at the location could potentially use them while the pharmacy was closed. Alexander directed some of his criticism towards businessman Gerald Aboud and claimed a security guard had been instructed to place cones throughout the parking area. “I will be an activist till the day I die, government minister or not,” Alexander said during the recording. He then declared that he would no longer patronise Starlite and urged gym users across Trinidad and Tobago to boycott the pharmacy over the parking issue. “Every single person who goes to any gym in this country should boycott Starlite Drugs,” Alexander said. Alexander’s position in Government is independently confirmed by the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, which lists him as a Senator and Minister in the Ministry of Housing. He was appointed to both positions on May 7, 2025. Following the circulation of the video, Starlite issued a public statement explaining why cones are placed in certain parking spaces. The company said gym patrons and workers from a nearby construction project have been using parking intended for its customers, reducing the number of spaces available to people visiting the pharmacy. Starlite said reserving the spaces is particularly important for elderly customers and people with limited mobility who require convenient access to its entrance. “The cones help keep these spaces available for Starlite customers, particularly elderly customers and those with limited mobility who need convenient access to our entrance,” the company said. Starlite’s response did not directly address Alexander’s boycott call or his comments about Aboud. Instead, management focused on explaining the reason for restricting access to some of the parking spaces. The competing accounts have now placed the parking arrangement at the centre of a wider social media discussion, with Alexander questioning the reservation of spaces while the pharmacy was closed and Starlite maintaining that the measure is necessary to protect parking access for its customers. Starlite thanked customers for their understanding and continued support.
