7 hours ago
3
Prof Andy Knight - INTERNATIONAL relations expert Prof Andy Knight says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her government do not appear to understand the real agenda of the US towards Venezuela.
He expressed this view in relation to a statement by Persad-Bissessar on August 23, which supported the deployment of US naval vessels in the southern Caribbean Sea, outside of Venezuela's territorial waters. In her statement, Persad-Bissessar also said if the US requested use of TT territory for military operations should Venezuela invade Guyana, TT would grant such a request.
Guyana and Venezuela have had a longstanding border dispute over the Essequibo region between them, which stretches back decades.
In a WhatsApp comment on August 24, Knight said, "There is not much thinking by her and her cabinet with respect to what the Trump administration is doing here. The US is signalling a strong presence and readiness to respond to perceived threats, particularly drug trafficking and regional instability."
Nothing is legally wrong with the current location of the vessels because they are in international waters.
But Knight said positioning close to another nation’s coastline is highly sensitive and can be interpreted as coercive or intimidating.
"Basically, what we are witnessing here is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to deflect attention away from Pedogate – the problems of his association with child rapist (Jeffrey) Epstein."
Knight claimed, "Trump is using his power as President of the US to throw a lot of things at the wall in the hope that something sticks. It is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to shift attention away from the Epstein scandal in which Trump seems to be embroiled."
He said, "While the US frames this as counter-narcotics, the deployment can also be seen as a show of force."
Such a military presence, Knight continued, heightens tensions in the region and could easily be perceived as escalation, especially by Caracas.
"This is not good for the Caribbean as a region. There can be unintended effects of this Trump administration action."
Knight cited Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's call up of 4.5 million militia members in response to the deployment as an example.
He said, "What we will witness is an escalation of tensions between Venezuela and the US and it could also risk driving wedges between Caribbean countries, which is my main concern."
Persad-Bissessar said TT had not engaged Caricom on the matter, would not do so and every member state could speak for itself.
TT holds the regional national security portfolio in Caricom's quasi-cabinet.
Knight said, "Regional unity is critical at this point in our history when we as Caribbean people are trying to address shared challenges and promote our own economic development."
He added, "We cannot afford to have our leaders be at cross purposes on such important matters as maintaining the Caribbean Sea as a zone of peace. "
Unusual designation of cartels as terrorists
Knight said as an attorney, Persad-Bissessar should know the designation of cartels as terrorist organisations is unusual in international law.
"Traditionally, terrorist designations apply to ideological groups, not criminal networks."
Knight said the Trump administration's definition of criminal networks as terrorist organisaitons "sets a precedent, potentially broadening the definition of terrorism and affecting US relations with Latin American states."
He believed that to be a critical mistake by the US government.
"I don't think that President Trump and his administration has thought through the international legal implication of such a pronouncement."
Knight was concerned the US naval deployment was an act of political theatre by US President Donald Trump as "a domestic show of strength to deter foreign intervention.
He said the act could consolidate Maduro's support base and give him the option to call on his international allies for help if the US military entered Venezuelan waters.
Venezuela has close ties with Russia, China, and Iran.
Knight said another effect of the US-Venezuela tensions could be to strain US ties with other countries in the Americas such as Mexico.
"This could deepen existing divides, complicating further any co-operation on trade, security, and multilateral issues. This is the last thing we need in our region, more tension."
Knight cautioned Persad-Bissessar and other leaders who thought the presence of US military forces in the region would be a stabilising force against organised crime.
"Others, who remember what happened in Grenada (October 1983 US military invasion after a coup on the island), may view it as another heavy-handed act of a failing hegemonic power, thus risking alienation."
Knight said, "The balance depends on whether the US can combine security operations with diplomatic engagement."
He added the Trump administration's record since returning to office last year, showed it had failed at diplomacy and was not doing well on security.
"Just look at the situation in the middle east right now and what is happening domestically in Los Angeles and Washington DC. I don’t think it’s wise for any country, in any part of the world right now to look at the US as a model of stable security.
Knight said the world was witnessing a transition away from the 1945 world order (US, Britain, Soviet Union) to a new world disorder.
He added the scenario created opportunities for China, Russia, India and Iran to gain more influence in the Caribbean and Latin America as US hegemonic power waned in those regions.
In this scenario, Knight continued, "blindly following the US lead on such geopolitical and strategic matters may be a recipe for disaster, at least under the current leadership of this Trump administration."
English (US) ·