Trinidad and Tobago Allows US Military Use to National Airfields Amid Growing Strains with Venezuela
Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has stated it will permit the United States military to operate from its airports shortly. This move comes as mounting strained relations between the US and its neighbor Venezuela.
Radar Installation Fuels Controversy
The news follows the recent installation of a military-grade radar system at an airport in Tobago. Caribbean authorities state the radar's intended role is for fighting local criminal activity, stressing it will not be a base for attacks against any nation.
Government opponents caution, however, that this cooperation could draw Trinidad and Tobago into former President Donald Trump's intensifying political strategy against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.
Nature of Access and Official Statements
According to a ministry statement, US use at the airports would be focused on logistics, assisting with resupply efforts and routine personnel rotations. Officials did not elaborate beyond this.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has previously commended US airstrikes targeting suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, actions that have reportedly led to multiple fatalities, among them a number of Trinidadian citizens.
Initial Claims and Subsequent Revelations
Initially, Persad-Bissessar claimed a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was carrying marines to support a civilian road construction project. Yet, after images surfaced of the defense system, she conceded that at least 100 marines were on the ground in the country, accompanied by the powerful radar.
The radar, thought to be a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is marketed as aerial monitoring, air defense, and artillery detection operations.
Proximity and Geography
Trinidad and Tobago lies extremely close from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. The country has two primary international gateways: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago.
The airport access agreement follows a previous incident in October, when a US warship was stationed in Trinidad's capital, as part of the Trump administration's increased military pressure against Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Congressional representatives have raised questions about the lawfulness of the aforementioned maritime strikes and have called for a congressional review.
