Protesters condemn US ‘imperial arrogance’ in Caribbean

Protesters (from left) David Abdulah, Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, Abeo Jackson and other citizens outside the US Embassy in Port of Spain on October 24. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle

About 20 people held a peaceful demonstration across from the US Embassy on October 24 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, denouncing what they described as US aggression in the Caribbean.

Participants including activists and representatives of civil society organisations, called for the protection of regional sovereignty and preservation of the Caribbean as a “zone of peace”.

Radio/television host and new mother Abeo Jackson, standing in the heat, said she felt compelled to act in response to what she called a grave violation of Caribbean sovereignty.

“As a new mother, I’m very concerned about the space I’ve brought my child into and what will be her inheritance,” she said.

Jackson condemned what she described as the extrajudicial killing of 43 men by US forces in the region, in what the US called an attack on narco-trafficking. She called it a violent desecration of regional sovereignty and criticised the government’s “silence on the matter.”

“Let us be clear, this is not about drugs. It is about natural resources. It is about oil. It is about power. Allegiance to empire is not leadership; it is capitulation,” she said.

Jackson said the killings were carried out without due process, transparency or accountability, calling it a chilling reminder of “imperial arrogance” that has long treated Caribbean lives as expendable in the name of security.

“This is not protection. This is recolonisation,” she said.

She argued TT’s alignment with US military objectives represented “a catastrophic betrayal of the Caribbean consensus – our region must remain a zone of peace.” Jackson accused the government of trading the dignity of its people for the optics of proximity to empire.

She stressed Caribbean sovereignty is not for sale and Caribbean lives are not collateral damage.

“Silence in moments such as these is complicity.”

When the floor was opened to others, young protester Shan-Nia Lewis delivered an impassioned address linking global conflicts to regional vulnerability.

“I am literally watching war crimes and genocides being livestreamed to us and feeling absolutely helpless. We have become desensitised to violence and murder. And I refuse to let it reach our shores,” she said.

Lewis questioned the government’s silence following the deaths of two TT nationals allegedly killed in recent US airstrikes.

“Our government has sold us out. There is no deal worth putting people’s lives in danger. Two citizens were murdered in cold blood, bombed and not even questioned.”

She warned young people they would bear the greatest burden if tensions in the region escalated.

“Do you think the people who treat our lives like chess pieces will stay here when war reaches our doorstep?” she asked. “They have the resources to leave. It will be us who suffer.”

Chairman of the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) Zakiya Uzoma Wadada also condemned US military operations in regional waters, describing them as a threat to peace and sovereignty.

Wadada said the ESC “strongly condemns recent acts of aggression and provocation” by the US and its intensified military buildup off Venezuela’s coast.

“As we strengthen our advocacy for decolonisation, it is intolerable to witness efforts by the United States to threaten the sovereignty of Caribbean states by reasserting the principles of the Monroe Doctrine,” she said.

She said the US campaign against “so-called narco-terrorism” was “a smokescreen” for broader geopolitical objectives and possible regime change in Venezuela. Wadada urged Caribbean unity.

“War in our region will affect us all for generations,” she said, noting TT’s proximity to Venezuela meant it “will inevitably be caught in the crossfire” if conflict breaks out.

Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah also attended the demonstration. He said regional activism has forced Caricom to take a stronger stance after weeks of silence.

Abdulah commended former Caricom heads of government who recently issued a joint statement rejecting military intervention and reaffirming the region as a “zone of peace.”

He also condemned the recent docking of a US destroyer off Trinidad’s coast, calling it “an abomination.”

“This is not a humanitarian ship. This is a warship anchored just miles from Venezuela at a time of escalating threats. The government should never have allowed it to dock here.”

He warned any attempt at regime change in Venezuela would destabilise the entire region.

“If war breaks out or any form of regime change is attempted, the people of Trinidad and Tobago will have to come out in large numbers to stand against it,” he said. “We say no to war and no to military intervention.”