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US Marines, including 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, during a training session in Puerto Rico in September. They are part of a US military force deployed in the Caribbean to combat narco-traffickers. - Photo courtesy Lance Cpl Kyle BaskinPRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said this country stands outside Caricom's zone of peace as it is most affected by narco-trafficking, human trafficking and weapons trafficking because of its close location to South America.
She made the statement while speaking to reporters outside the Red House on October 25, after the close of the Standing Finance Committee. She was responding to questions about former Caricom prime ministers and a petition to have the region remain a zone of peace.
Persad-Bissessar welcomed the presence of the US military in Caribbean waters and the arrival of USS Gravely, scheduled to dock in the Port of Port of Spain on October 26.
“Historically and geographically, we are closest to where the drugs are coming from, the narco-trafficking and human trafficking and gun running,” she said.
“The other islands are further north – we are more southern and closest to the South American mainland. Their experience may be different from ours in TT.
“We had over 600 murders last year. They have not had that experience. I think we have a different reality. In TT, the reality is we are crime-ridden, we are drug-ridden, we are cartel-ridden and we are gang-ridden and therefore our approach will have to be different.
“They are entitled to their view on the whole issue of a zone of peace, but in TT there is clearly no zone of peace. As I always say: TT first. We have to take care of our people first; we are the most affected by this.”
Asked her opinion on former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley’s signing on to the declaration with other former leaders calling for the region to remain a “zone of peace,” she said she was “not surprised.”
“He was there for nine years. Crime skyrocketed and nothing was done. We cannot expect to do the same thing and get a different result. So I am not surprised by his take on it and that is why he is a former prime minister. That is why the electorate voted him out.”
Caricom, with the exception of TT, also reiterated a joint policy position that the Caribbean remain a zone of peace.
The USS Gravely, a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, is one of several US Navy vessels and military assets diverted to the US Southcom jurisdiction since late August, citing the need to combat drug cartels and stem the flow of drugs to the US from South America. To bolster the assets, the USS Gerald R Ford, an aircraft carrier, is expected to join the navy fleet.
A media release from the US Embassy said the vessel will visit TT from October 26-30, mooring in Port of Spain as the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit embark on a week-long training missions with the TT Defence Force.
“The US military services’ presence in TT is part of the long-standing cooperation between the US and TT,” the release said.
In the release, US Embassy Charge D’ d'Affaires Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said the partnership between the US and TT exemplifies the regional strength through collaboration.
“Together we address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions and security efforts. Our long-standing partnership has provided medical care and disaster preparedness training, improved lives and strengthened communities.”
She said the cooperation between the two countries ensures greater safety and stability across the Caribbean.
Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge did not speak to the media while leaving the Red House on October 25, but in an interview with Al Jazeera, he echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, expressing full support of the US in the Caribbean Sea.
“If the US has deemed a country or people operating in a country as narco-traffickers and deemed them terrorists and waging a war on terror, then it is up to them to come to that conclusion. As you understand it, law is about interpretation – you may not agree with it, but if their interpretation is that they deem these people to be narco-traffickers, that is their prerogative.”
He said the strikes on these alleged traffickers, ten of them in total, which killed 43 people so far, occurred in international waters. Two of the targets were hit in the Pacific Ocean.
Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Barry Padarath said the government is working together with regional and international partners as it relates to narco-trafficking, gun trafficking and human trafficking.
“The Prime Minister has articulated as well that the US is the only country that has signalled any sort of attempt to partner with TT, which has been plagued with several critical issues with relation to gun trafficking, narco-trafficking and human trafficking. Therefore, where we get the assistance from in terms of security for TT, we have said TT first, and therefore, it is the partnership that we are taking with the US.”
However, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles doubled down on her position, expressing concern over the actions of the US and the role TT has to play in the US’s military presence in the region.
On October 24, during a national broadcast in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro said the US is waging a war against him.
“They promised they would never again get involved in a war and they are fabricating a war that we will avoid,” said Maduro.
“They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal and totally fake one. Venezuela is a country that does not produce coca leaves." (a key ingredient in manufacturing of cocaine)
English (US) ·