In a move that has clearly stunned her nation, Trinidad’s government has thrown its full and unequivocal support behind planned and anticipated US military action against Venezuela even offering Washington access to local soil if Venezuela ever attacks fellow CARICOM nation and neighbor, Guyana with which it has a simmering decades-old border dispute.
In a late Saturday statement, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar made it clear her twin-island federation with Tobago fully supports the Trump administration and its deployment of warships and soldiers off Venezuela, saying the time has come for concerted international action against organized crime, as it has had debilitating effects on the country and regional neighbors.
Her announcement came a day after Guyana made a similar announcement but in more measured terms and just hours after Foreign Minister Sean Sobers had said that Trinidad was planning to remain neutral in the impasse with Venezuela.
In coming to the fore, PM Persad Bissessar appeared to have timed her announcement just hours before the military fleet was expected to arrive in international waters off Venezuela.
“Trinidad and Tobago has been helplessly drowning in blood and violence for the last 20 years. Vice President JD Vance spoke the truth when he mentioned our high murder and crime rates. Therefore, no amount of Trump derangement syndrome tantrums and anti-American propaganda will prevent my government from welcoming assistance to combat the terrorist drug cartels,” the PM stated. “Due to drug, human and firearms trafficking, Caribbean countries, and in particular Trinidad and Tobago, have experienced massive spikes in crime, gang activity, murders, violence and financial crimes.”
As regional governments monitor the USA’s next move, the PM noted, however, that Washington has not made a formal request for access to local soil to launch operations. She suggested that only people engaged in illegal activity should be worried about the presence of the military. “Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear.”
It is not clear if other member nations in CARICOM will join Trinidad in supporting the US, but the head of government was adamant that her cabinet will not consult with the wider regional umbrella body on the latest developments issue, as “each member state can speak for themselves on this issue.”
On Friday, Guyana became the first regional country to back the US saying that “concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels” are needed to combat international crimes and to move against organized crime groups like the Cartel de los Soles of Venezuela.
“Guyana reaffirms its support for a collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organized crime. We are committed to working with our bilateral partners to find meaningful solutions and will support regional and global initiatives aimed at dismantling criminal networks to safeguard our shared security,” a government statement noted.
It also referenced the decades-old Guyana-Venezuela border row with neighboring Trinidad not mincing words on who it will support if there is any military conflict between the two nations.
“I want to make it very clear that if the Maduro regime launches any attack against the Guyanese people or invades Guyanese territory and a request is made by the American government for access to Trinidadian territory to defend the people of Guyana, my government will unflinchingly provide them that access. May good sense and peace prevail,” PM Persad Bissessar said.
