CARICOM leaders discuss US radar request in Grenada

CARICOM leaders convened on Wednesday and Thursday this week, including a caucus to discuss a U.S. request to Grenada to allow the installation of radar equipment and associated technical personnel at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA), according to Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

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The virtual caucus on Wednesday lasted just over five hours, during which leaders received “an update from the Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell,” who is currently returning from a visit to Africa.

Grenada has confirmed that the United States submitted a formal request to install radar equipment and associated technical personnel at MBIA. The government emphasized that “any decisions on that matter will be made only after all technical and legal assessments are completed. We wish to assure our citizens that any decision taken will be guided by Grenada’s sovereignty, public safety, and national interest, including the protection of our tourism industry, the traveling public, and the country’s economic well-being.”

The request has met with public opposition from former Grenada Senate president and trade unionist Chester Humphrey, and former foreign affairs minister Peter David. Humphrey said he is prepared to lead a peaceful protest march, claiming that the move by Washington is a precursor to a military strike against the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela. David, an independent legislator, added that while Grenada values its longstanding partnerships with both the United States and Venezuela, “any actions taken must be rooted in diplomacy, mutual respect, and regional cooperation.”

On Wednesday, U.S. Southern Command Commander Admiral Alvin Holsey met with senior officials of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF). A statement issued afterwards described the meeting as “cordial and productive, reaffirming the US Southern Command’s commitment to supporting Grenada’s national security efforts.” Holsey also met with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne. A U.S. Embassy statement said the discussions focused on “Caribbean security and the deepening of both nations’ bilateral defense partnership. This partnership is integral to the region’s collective efforts to advance Caribbean security and stability. Our efforts to strengthen partnerships in the Caribbean are vital to combat transnational criminal organizations and illicit traffickers who threaten the region and our homeland.”

Reports in the U.S. media have since indicated that Holsey has resigned, amid tensions with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over Caribbean operations.

The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat has not issued an official statement regarding this week’s meetings. However, former Jamaica Prime Minister P.J. Patterson described U.S. drone attacks on vessels in Caribbean waters as “fundamentally dangerous and a horrible erosion of regional leaders’ commitment to sovereignty in the region.”

Last month, President Donald Trump increased U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean, deploying an amphibious squadron, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers, and a guided-missile cruiser to the region. The U.S. military has carried out four airstrikes in Caribbean waters in recent weeks, targeting what Washington alleges are Caracas-backed drug traffickers, a claim denied by the Venezuelan government.