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David Abdulah - THE Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) has slammed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for expressing Trinidad and Tobago's support for a US naval deployment in the southern Caribbean Sea, outside of Venezuela's territorial waters.
Persad-Bissessar did so in a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister on August 23.
In statement on August 24, MSJ political leader David Abdulah said Persad-Bissessar's statement was shameful with this country's 63rd anniversary of independence less than a week away
He claimed Persad-Bissessar had "swallowed the Trump administration's position that this deployment is to deal with 'terrorist drug cartels.'”
Abdulah said, "The MSJ repeats that the reason advanced is a lie."
He referred to a statement made by the MSJ on August 21 which said "the nature and size of the US military assets are for offensive purposes, not drug interdiction."
The vessels deployed to the southern Caribbean are three Aegis-class guided missile destroyers and a nuclear submarine.
Abdulah said if the US had said it was deploying additional coast guard vessels to collaborate with regional countries, the statement about combating drug cartels would be believable.
"But destroyers with guided cruise missiles are meant to take out military targets; amphibious vessels are designed to land troops. What is the military target? Where are the 4,000 troops to be landed?
The deployed vessels are reported to have approximately 4,000 personnel that include sailors and marines.
Abdulah asked if the deployment was some kind of naval blockade of Venezuela which is contrary to international law.
"The US can’t or won’t say. Yet our Prime Minister endorses it. "
Abdulah said, "Mrs Persad-Bissessar should say in clear words who is the target, what is the cartel and in which country."
He repeated the MSJ's view that this argument by the US "is a fiction meant to legitimise what is a military intervention against Venezuela."
Abdulah slammed Persad-Bissessar for saying government has not engaged Caricom on the matter and did not intend to do so.
He reminded Persad-Bissessar that under the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, TT as a Caricom members state had a duty to collaborate with other member states on foreign affairs through Caricom's Council for Foreign and Community Relations.
Abdulah claimed Persad-Bissessar's statement suggests the Trump administration had achieved the objective of weakening and dividing Caricom. He said the MSJ warned about that eventuality months ago.
"TT has had a long record of conducting foreign policy based on the principles of recognition of the sovereignty of states and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states."
Abdulah said, "We have taken positions on principle even when this meant opposing US foreign policy."
He cited the recognition of Cuba and Palestine and opposing apartheid in South Africa as examples of that.
"In all of this we stood on principle and were on the right side of history."
Abdulah said Persad-Bissessar's statement showed government was "putting us on the wrong side of history and in support of a colonial and imperial agenda started by the US 20 years ago."
He added claims of Venezuela invading Guyana were a smokescreen.
Persad-Bissessar said TT would grant the US access to its territory if that happened and the US wanted to use TT for any related military activities.
Abdulah said the Argyle Accord signed last year in St Vincent and the Grenadines between Venezuela and Guyana eliminated such a scenario from happening.
"But for the Prime Minister to give carte-blanche approval for the US to use our country as a military staging point in that conflict is unacceptable."
In December 2024, TT and the US signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which allows military-to-military engagement between the countries.
Persad-Bissessar and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers said the US ha not made a request under the SOFA to access TT's territory for any military activity.
Abdulah also criticised Persad-Bissessar for condemning anyone who had advocated for the Caribbean to remain a zone of peace.
English (US) ·