3 days ago
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Senior Reporter
Former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has warned that the impending arrival of US military assets in the Caribbean will test the Government’s commitment to defending the region as a zone of peace.
Dr Rowley issued the comments via WhatsApp to Guardian Media and later shared them on Facebook, urging the United National Congress administration to declare its position “now that the chickens have come home to roost”.
Foreign news agencies have reported that three destroyers—the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson—are set to arrive off Venezuela, with about 4,000 sailors and marines aboard. An official said the fleet could carry out intelligence operations or serve as a launching pad for strikes if authorised.
While Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers yesterday said Trinidad and Tobago will remain neutral in the US-Venezuela tensions, Rowley accused the Government of previously undermining diplomatic initiatives while in opposition and supporting foreign efforts to install Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
“From the Opposition benches, they actively and consistently undermined T&T/Caricom diplomatic initiatives to stave off regime change through force. They condemned our approach to the United Nations, where we led the charge for multilateralism and the respect for the UN Charter. They dismissed our diplomatic initiatives with Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the African Union and Uruguay. They openly supported the implanting of president Guaido by US/Canada and Europe. They shamelessly wrote and called for US sanctions against T&T ministers, including the Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. Recently, in Government, they proclaimed their full support for the ‘policies and programmes’ being promulgated and advanced in Washington,” he said.
“This adventurous military excursion into our ‘zone of peace’ is the latest of that suite of policies. Now that the chickens are coming home to roost, the question for the people of Trinidad and Tobago is whether it is better to follow unpatriotic Opposition (Government) folly or maintain sovereignty and diplomatic self-interest in government. We await to see if our Government has pip or if they have a functioning tongue.”
Meanwhile, Guyana welcomed foreign assistance to combat transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism, citing networks such as Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles. In a statement, Georgetown expressed “grave concern” about the security situation, noting that some criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, and threaten human development.
“The government of Guyana underscores the necessity for strengthened cooperation and concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels to effectively combat this menace,” the release said. President Dr Irfaan Ali reaffirmed support for a collaborative approach to dismantle criminal networks and safeguard shared security.
“We are committed to working with our bilateral partners to find meaningful solutions and will support regional and global initiatives aimed at dismantling criminal networks to safeguard our shared security. By confronting transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism with unity, we reaffirm our dedication to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the region remains a Zone of Peace.”
The statement was first posted on X by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hours before appearing on Guyana’s official government pages.
English (US) ·