Trinidad and Tobago stands firm with US on regional security

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (C) and staff of the United States embassy during Divali celebrations at the PM's residence in Phillipine, on October 18. - via Kamla Persad-Bissessar's FB page

The government has broken its silence on the decision to withhold its support for Caricom’s calls for the region to remain a zone of peace.

On October 18, Caricom released a statement reaffirming the principle of maintaining the Caribbean region as a zone of peace. In the statement, though, it noted TT had “reserved its position.”

Caricom’s position was crafted after regional heads met virtually to discuss the security build-up in the Caribbean and the potential impacts on member states.

“Save in respect of TT, (which) reserved its position, Heads agreed on the following: They reaffirmed the principle of maintaining the Caribbean region as a zone of peace and the importance of dialogue and engagement towards the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict,” the statement said.

It added Caricom heads were committed to fighting narco-trafficking and the illegal arms trade harming the region but noted these efforts must be via international co-operation and within international law.

In a media release on October 19, the ministry referred to Caricom’s statement saying, “The government of TT wishes to once more, categorically express its strong support for the on-going military intervention of the US in the region.”

It added the operations combating trafficking and other forms of transnational crime are “ultimately aimed at allowing the Region to be a true ‘Zone of Peace’ where all citizens can in reality, live and work in a safe environment.”

The statement suggested law-abiding citizens, specifically fisherfolk and others using the ocean to earn an honest living, should have nothing to fear.

“Alternatively, all persons who may seek to engage in, or indirectly support, any illegal activities in the Region, are warned that should they be so inclined, they do so at their own peril.”

It added, “the government reiterates its commitment to the people of the Caribbean for the creation of a safer, stronger and more prosperous region.”

1. Government's stance a ‘blow to Caricom’

International relations expert Richard Lynch said regardless of the government’s stance, it was critical that it respects international law and conventions.

He acknowledged that the transnational crimes facing the region, and more so TT, poses a challenge to the “zone of peace” concept.

“The advent of human, narcotics and arms trafficking, throughout the region, and more specifically, TT’s close geographical proximity to the (South American) continent, has particularly challenged our traditional notions of sovereignty, peace, security and development.”

Lynch, a former director of international affairs in the ministry of national security, pointed out as sovereign nation TT “inherently reserves the right to exercise its reservation to the collective position of Caricom.”

He warned, though, that despite the complexity and risks of recent military developments in the region, “TT’s foreign policy options should be guided by the values and principles of international cooperation, multilateral collaboration, respect for human rights and the rule of international law.”

A former diplomat, however, believes the government’s stance was to be expected given Persad-Bissessar’s previous comments on the looming US-Venezuela conflict.

Speaking at the United Nations general assembly in New York on September 26, Persad-Bissessar lamented the Caribbean is no longer a zone of peace because of the dangers posed by transnational criminal organisations, such as criminal gangs and drug cartels.

She added the war against drug cartels and criminal gangs in the Western Hemisphere required fighting “fire with fire, within the law.”

Persad-Bissessar has also repeatedly endorsed the US military deployment in the southern Caribbean Sea, outside of Venezuela’s territorial waters.

The retired diplomat, who served as TT’s ambassador to several Latin American countries, said the government’s position was consistent with the position articulated by Persad-Bissessar in the past.

“If you listen to her UN address. She was adamant that the zone of peace concept is an ideal, it is not a reality.”

Noting her support of the US at the UN, he added, “You couldn’t very well have that position and then come and adopt a Caricom position that went counter to that original position.”

Prof Anthony Bryan was scathing in his assessment of the government’s stance, describing it as “a blow to the Caricom integration movement.”

He told Newsday, Persad-Bissessar support for the US’s military intervention in the region has placed TT in a position to receive collateral damage if hostilities between the US and Venezuela take place.

“TT does not exist in a hermetically sealed vacuum. Our statements and actions have regional and international repercussions,” Bryan warned.

US: Traffickers will be hunted and killed

Meanwhile, the US continued its attack on narco traffickers in the region after it bombed another boat, this time allegedly belonging to a Colombian militia.

A video posted to Facebook by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed to be footage of the US destroying a National Liberation Army (ELN) boat on October 17.

“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was travelling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics.”

The ELN is a guerilla insurgency group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict for almost five decades.

It has been classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand and the European Union. Media reports say the ELN operates in at least 12 of the 23 states of Venezuela including the western border states.

In 2019, the organisation publicly voiced their support for Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and have said they “will fight” US troops if they invade Venezuela.

Hegseth said there were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike and noted it took place in international waters. He added, “These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people.

“The US military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda.”

The incident brought the number of people killed aboard bots bombed by US forces to 32.

Two of these are believed to have been Trinidadian citizens.The family of Chad Joseph claims he and another TT national identified only as Samaroo were aboard the boat bombed by US forces on October 14, but officials have not yet been able to verify these claims.