OECS leaders back Grenada’s decision on controversial US radar request

The leaders of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and St. Lucia have pledged full support for Grenada regardless of its decision on a U.S. request to temporarily install a radar at Maurice Bishop International Airport and deploy military assets nearby.

Speaking at a news conference following a tour of the new Kingstown Port, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Dominica’s Roosevelt Skerrit, and St. Lucia’s Phillip J. Pierre underscored the sensitivity of the issue.

“Whatever decision [Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell] makes, I will support him, because he’ll have a rational basis on which to make whatever decision he make,” Gonsalves said. He noted the complexity of the matter, citing Grenada’s economic dependence on U.S. students and airlines, as well as principles of non-intervention and regional peace.

Mitchell has yet to make a formal decision on the radar request, describing it as “a technical matter” requiring expert guidance. He said this week that the public debate surrounding the U.S. request is ongoing.

Gonsalves said the U.S. intends to place the radar near Venezuela to exert pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, but emphasized that other options, such as platforms at sea or satellites, exist. He added that Antigua and Barbuda has already declined the U.S. request, and he supports each country assessing its own national interests.

Skerrit and Pierre expressed their alignment with Gonsalves’ position and also voiced support for him in the upcoming general election, expected next month.

The U.S. government has increased its military presence off Venezuela’s coast in operations targeting alleged drug shipments, including recent strikes on vessels. CARICOM leaders have discussed the regional security build-up and its implications for member states, though no official CARICOM position has been adopted by Trinidad and Tobago.

Gonsalves reiterated that any decision Grenada makes will be informed by careful judgment and national interest considerations, and that OECS solidarity requires supporting that choice.