Trinidad and Tobago Grants US Military Access to National Airfields As Growing Strains with Venezuela
Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has stated it will allow the United States military to access its airports shortly. This decision comes as increasing regional tensions between the US and its neighbor Venezuela.
Radar Installation Raises Questions
This statement follows the recent deployment of a advanced radar system at an airport in Tobago. National the government state the radar's sole use is for fighting local criminal activity, stressing it will not be a base for attacks against any nation.
Government opponents warn, however, that these arrangements risks pulling Trinidad and Tobago into ex-President Donald Trump's intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.
Scope of Agreement and Official Statements
According to a foreign affairs statement, US use at the airports would be for logistical support, assisting with supply replenishment and regular staff changes. Officials offered no specifics beyond this.
The nation's leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past praised US airstrikes targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, actions that have allegedly resulted in multiple deaths, including a number of Trinidadian citizens.
Earlier Statements and Subsequent Revelations
At first, Persad-Bissessar claimed a US C-17 aircraft arriving in Tobago was carrying marines to help on a local road construction project. Yet, following photographic evidence of the defense system, she acknowledged that at least 100 marines were on the ground in the country, accompanied by the powerful radar.
The radar, identified as a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is marketed as air surveillance, defense, and counter-fire capabilities.
Close Neighbors
The twin-island nation is situated a mere seven miles from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. The country has two primary international gateways: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago.
This development comes after a prior event in October, when a US warship docked in Trinidad's capital, as part of the Trump administration's ramped-up military pressure on Venezuela.
In related developments, US lawmakers have expressed doubts about the legality of the aforementioned maritime strikes and have called for a review process.