Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
“[…] Today the government is putting us on the wrong side of history and in support of a colonial and imperial agenda, grounded in the 200+ year old Monroe Doctrine which US administrations have used as justification for interfering in this hemisphere to militarily invade sovereign states (Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic among others), effect coup d’etats (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala among others) and finance political parties that are in alignment with their (US) interests and/or foment crises and chaos to bring about political change…”
The following press statement on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s position on the United States deployment of Navy warships in the southern Caribbean, in the vicinity of Venezuela, was submitted to Wired868 by Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah:
Photo: Sunil Lalla.
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) states that today is a day of both shame and sadness for Trinidad and Tobago—one week away from our commemorating the 63rd anniversary of our independence and just weeks away from marking the 49th year of our republican status.
We say this in light of the statement issued yesterday by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in which she unequivocally expressed support for the: “US government’s deployment of American military assets into the Caribbean region”.
In justifying this, the Prime Minister swallowed the Trump administration position that this deployment is to deal with “terrorist drug cartels”.
Photo: Washington Post.
The MSJ repeats that the reason advanced is a lie. As we made clear in the statement that we issued last Thursday, the nature and size of the US military assets are for offensive purposes, not drug interdiction.
If the US had said it was deploying additional Coast Guard vessels to collaborate with regional countries that would be believable. But destroyers with guided cruise missiles are meant to take out military targets; amphibious vessels are designed to land troops.
What is the military target? Where are the 4,000 troops to be landed? To destroy what drug cartel? And in which country? Or is it to effect a naval blockade of Venezuela contrary to international law?
The US can’t or won’t say. Yet our PM endorses it. Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar should say in clear words who is the target, what is the cartel and in which country.
We repeat this is a fiction meant to legitimise what is a military intervention against Venezuela.
The Prime Minister’s statement is shameful for another reason and that is disrespect for Caricom. As she stated: “the T&T Government has not engaged and has no intention of engaging Caricom on this matter—each member state can speak for themselves on this issue.”
(Copyright AFP 2016/ Mandel Ngan.)
We remind the people of Trinidad and Tobago that the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas under which Caricom functions, sets out as one of its objectives as collaboration on foreign affairs.
It has a specific body, the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, that has as its objectives to:
“Establish measures to co-ordinate the foreign policies of the Member States of the Community, including proposals for joint representation, and seek to ensure, as far as practicable, the adoption of Community positions on major hemispheric and international issues; establish measures to co-ordinate the foreign policies of the Member States of the Community, including proposals for joint representation, and seek to ensure, as far as practicable, the adoption of Community positions on major hemispheric and international issues.”
Copyright: Office of the Parliament 2025.
The Trump regime has achieved one of its objectives—and we in the MSJ warned about this many months ago—the weakening and division of Caricom.
Trinidad and Tobago has had a long record of conducting foreign policy based on the principles of recognition of the sovereignty of states and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
We have taken positions on principle even when this meant opposing US foreign policy. We did this in recognising Cuba and in opposing the illegal and illegitimate US blockade of that Caribbean nation.
We have recognised the State of Palestine. We strongly opposed apartheid in South Africa and supported the liberation movements in colonial territories.
In all of this we stood on principle and were on the right side of history.
Today the government is putting us on the wrong side of history and in support of a colonial and imperial agenda, grounded in the 200+ year old Monroe Doctrine which US administrations have used as justification for interfering in this hemisphere to militarily invade sovereign states (Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic among others), effect coup d’etats (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala among others) and finance political parties that are in alignment with their (US) interests and/or foment crises and chaos to bring about political change.
The issue of “the Maduro regime launching any attack on Guyana” is a smokescreen. This is not the issue.
And for clarity, the MSJ’s position, stated several years ago, is with Caricom. The Essequibo is part of Guyana; and we further endorsed the Argyle Accord initiated by the PM of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with the support of other Caricom heads, the UN Secretary General and the President of Brazil.
But for the PM to give carte blanche approval for the US to use our country as a military staging point in that conflict is unacceptable.
Photo: UNC.
Lastly, the Prime Minister made the preposterous statement that: “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… The only persons who should be worried about the activity of the US military are those engaged in or enabling criminal activity.”
Well, the MSJ and many progressive and proud Caribbean citizens insist that the Caribbean is and remains a Zone of Peace and view the US military deployment as being opposed to this. Does that make us criminals?
We simply respond by saying that the US and most of the global north termed Nelson Mandela as a terrorist and a criminal. Why? Because he and his comrades were fighting against injustices brought about by colonialism and imperialism.
“[…] The Ministry of Finance website provides budget statements from 2002 onwards. Diversification is mentioned in each budget statement. All Read more
“[…] The frustration in Greenvale, however, runs deeper than a single Sunday blackout. The community already feels utterly abandoned. The Read more
“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived Read more
“[…] At first glance, this might sound like the end of Jack Warner’s ordeal. If the court sets him free, Read more
“[…] On 23 September, Justice Karen Reid ruled that the extradition process against him was flawed and has permanently stopped Read more
“[…] When a sitting minister hires some of the most expensive lawyers in the country, the public has a right Read more
Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com.
Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation.
We don’t publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.
USA has No Sovereign Right off the Venezuelan Caribbean Coast
The Editor:
The right of the USA to deploy its naval vessels in international and territorial located across the globe is exercising the freedom of navigation/right of innocent/transit passage in the territorial seas/international straits of other nations.
It is not an aspect /expression/ enactment of its sovereignty the exercise of which is limited to, inter alia, its land space, air space above and its territorial sea, Minister Sobers.
But your Prime Minister, Minister Moses said if Venezuela were to invade Guyana ( a conflict) T&T will side with the USA by even granting USA access to our territory to be used as a staging post/beach- head against Venezuelan forces en -route to Georgetown.
This is not a “non-interventionist approach”. I
In fact, the instantaneous foreign policy of T&T as expressed/declared by the PMROTT level is “interventionist” by supporting the build -up and deployment of US maritime assets within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Venezuela geared to confront the drug cartels and narco-traffickers.
T&T based on its PMROTT Press Release, would appear to be on the side of US in its potential interference in the internal and domestic political affairs of Venezuela to effect regime change/stop narco-trafficking via potential use of force that is acting against and in violation the tenets of the UN Charter.
USA cannot act in the exercise of its innate sovereignty by emplacing its military ships in a legitimate maritime zone over which Venezuela has exclusive sovereign rights that are recognised firstly, by the USA in treaty law of 1978, secondly by the 1982 UN Convention of the LOS (UNCLOS) and thirdly by customary international law.
The presence of US warships anchored off the Venezuelan Caribbean coast is not an act that is legitimised by US sovereignty, Minister Moses, but is a violation of the principles underlying the freedom of navigation and the right of innocent passage. It poses a potential threat to the preservation of the marine environment with possible nuclear military capability/technology being used.
The chart below shows the huge Caribbean extent of the EEZ of Venezuela that extends mid-way between Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
There are no areas of the high seas located in the Caribbean Sea and therefore this US armada will be operating within well -established national maritime borders that have been negotiated, signed, ratified and registered with the UN by the respective littoral states.
Stephen Kangal
Caroni
Yep!!! we were warned about this level of reckless (to be kind) governance. As usual the statement coming from the PM was brash/ignorant/arrogant (in keeping with her new kamla 2.0 persona I suppose) while the line minister attempted to be more measured in reiterating that our relationship with our neighbours remain strong and intact etc. Clearly it seemed like they weren’t speaking as a united government then. These statements coming at least 24 hrs after we first learnt of the u.s military deployment. These statements begs the questions; what was the role of our government in providing supporting evidence to the u.s in the actions they were planning to undertake given the u.s VP’s reference to T&T in his comparison of crime in Washington D.C.? Is T&T still a member of Caricom given the P.M.’s open disregard of their views on this looming threat to peace in the region? Why hasn’t the prime minister made an official address to the nation?