By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
As tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate, Trinidad and Tobago has been thrust into the conflict, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly backing the 47th president’s recent strikes and military build-up in the region.
Unsplash/ Fredrik Öhlander
In recent months, the U.S. has ramped up its naval presence in the Caribbean. According to a Pentagon News report on the Department of Defense (DOD) website, “U.S. Southern Command has conducted at least 20 lethal maritime strikes on intelligence-confirmed narco-terrorists in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September.”
On Nov. 24, DOD leaders officially named “Venezuela’s state-embedded criminal network Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization,” with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at the helm.
DOD officials are quoted in the article as saying the new designation will bring “a whole bunch of new options” when it comes to deterring drug dealers in the area.
The attacks, part of the 47th president’s crackdown on narcotics trafficking, have led to almost 90 deaths. Members of the international community and legislators in Congress alike have said that the attacks are crimes against humanity.
On Dec. 10, Trump seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. On Dec. 16, he used his social media platform to order “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
The government in Trinidad and Tobago has reiterated its support for the U.S. military operation, even as they continue an investigation into the alleged October killing of two citizens in one of the U.S. strikes.
On Dec. 15, leaders of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said that the country reinforced a “commitment to sustained cooperation with the United States of America (U.S.A.) in advancing regional safety, security, and stability.”
“Through this partnership, Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from joint military training exercises, enhanced surveillance capabilities, including the installation of an effective radar system, and collaborative efforts that have contributed to the interdiction of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal narcotics,” said a statement put out by both agencies.
Leaders of the Caribbean nation say that Americans have been helpful by donating money to improve everything from educational initiatives to infrastructure projects. In return, the United States now has open access to airports in Trinidad and Tobago.
“In keeping with established bilateral cooperation, the Ministry has granted approvals for United States military aircraft to transit Trinidad and Tobago’s airports in the coming weeks. The United States has advised that these movements are logistical in nature, facilitating supply replenishment and routine personnel rotations.”
Now, Trinbagonians (as natives are called) are increasingly worried that the country’s alignment with Washington, D.C. could place them in the crossfire.
“Venezuela has made it very clear that they used to see us as friends, but now with us going against that and going with the United States, they are now seeing us as enemies,” said an entrepreneur living in Trinidad and Tobago who requested to remain anonymous. “They have said very categorically that if America does invade their country—while they cannot invade America because of the distance—they would believe it is because of Trinidad that they were invaded and will therefore attack Trinidad directly.”
The entrepreneur said he is feeling uneasy and frustrated with the Trinidad and Tobago government. Before tensions erupted between Venezuela and the U.S., he described his country’s relationship with Venezuela as a “love-hate” one. While most Trinbagonians recognize that Venezuela is under an authoritarian regime, he noted that the country has historically refrained from interfering in its neighbor’s internal affairs and maintained a cooperative trade relationship.
Now, he believes all of that is at risk.
“We should have continued in the same vein of not meddling in people’s internal politics, but now we have been bullied by another power to become complacent in wrongdoing,” said the resident. “The country has enough politicians and everybody else if they want to overthrow the government—it’s their business.”
The Caribbean has long been declared a “Zone of Peace.” Still, Trinidad and Tobago has been one of the few Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members to break from this tradition. Along with Guyana, it has openly supported U.S. operations in the region, while the majority of CARICOM members have stressed adherence to international law and called for peaceful, diplomatic solutions.
One woman living in Trinidad and Tobago, who also requested to remain anonymous, acknowledged that while drug trafficking is a problem in the region, there is deep concern over the lack of transparency surrounding the U.S. military operations and the potential risks they pose to civilians.
In a November conversation with the AFRO team, she argued that the 47th president’s actions toward Venezuela are ultimately aimed at seizing its natural resources—the South American country is known to have the largest oil reserves in the world. Given the past two weeks, it appears she was right.
“Things are being done unilaterally. There doesn’t seem to be any law and order to this,” said the woman. “It just seems like this bully decided that he wants the toys in another person’s toy box, and he’s doing what he has to do to get it. There doesn’t seem to be any real respect for the sovereignty of the states involved.”
Her fear, now, is that it’s too late for Trinidad and Tobago to backtrack.
“Socially, economically and politically, we will be affected. Trinidad was once considered a leader in terms of the Caribbean community because we’ve always been one of the larger and more economically-sound countries,” she said. “Now, I think we’ve lost some of that respect.”
