PM backs US warships in Caribbean

RADHICA DE SILVA

Senior Multimedia Reporter

[email protected]

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has declared T&T’s full support for the United States as American warships enter the Caribbean to target Latin American drug cartels.

In a statement yesterday, a day before the scheduled arrival of the vessels, Persad-Bissessar said her government has no hesitation in welcoming US assistance to combat drug trafficking.

“Trinidad and Tobago has been helplessly drowning in blood and violence for the last 20 years; Vice President JD Vance spoke the truth when he mentioned our high murder and crime rates. Therefore, no amount of Trump derangement syndrome tantrums and anti-American propaganda will prevent my government from welcoming assistance to combat the terrorist drug cartels,” she said.

The statement was in sharp contrast to comments on the issue by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers who said on Friday this country will be staying out of the current impasse between the United States and Venezuela.

The Prime Minister noted that the government would not be engaging Caricom on the issue, adding that each member state can speak for itself. She also dismissed suggestions that the country had been pressured into allowing the deployment.

“No requests have ever been made by the American Government for their military assets to access Trinidadian territory for any military action against the Venezuelan regime,” Persad-Bissessar assured.

She stressed that T&T maintains good relations with the Venezuelan people, but affirmed that the country would allow US access if necessary to defend Guyanese territory in the event of an attack by the Maduro regime.

“The only persons who should be worried about the activity of the US military are those engaged in, or enabling, criminal activity. Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar highlighted the severity of transnational crime in the Caribbean, noting that small island states lack the resources to tackle drug cartels independently.

“Due to drug, human and firearms trafficking, Caribbean countries, and in particular Trinidad and Tobago, have experienced massive spikes in crime, gang activity, murders, violence and financial crimes,” she said.

She added that criminal networks have infiltrated high levels of Caribbean society, influencing political, legislative, media, banking, security, and economic decisions, often rendering governments ineffective in addressing criminal activity.

“Record murder rates, gang activity, drug addictions, violent crime and increasing poverty throughout the Caribbean and especially in our country certainly do not paint a peaceful existence.

“Therefore, it is shocking to hear some persons using referrals to the Caribbean region as a zone of peace to push negative commentary on the US military deployment against these terrorist cartels,” she said, concluding with a call for regional stability: “May good sense and peace prevail.”

The US Southern Command has deployed six warships in two separate missions. The first deployment includes the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson, all guided-missile destroyers, along with reconnaissance aircraft, Marines, and an attack submarine. The operation targets narcotics shipments linked to Venezuela and other Latin American cartels.