🔗 Share this article Trinidad and Tobago Grants US Military Access to Its Airports As Growing Tensions with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has announced it will authorize the United States military to operate from its airports shortly. This decision follows heightening strained relations between the US and nearby Venezuela. Radar Installation Sparks Debate This announcement follows the recent deployment of a military-grade radar system at an airport in Tobago. Caribbean the government have insisted the radar's intended role is for combating local criminal activity, emphatically denying a base for attacks against any nation. Government opponents warn, however, that these arrangements might entangle Trinidad and Tobago into former President Donald Trump's intensifying efforts against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Nature of Access and Government Explanation According to a foreign affairs statement, US use at the airports would be “logistical in nature”, enabling supply replenishment and standard troop rotations. The government provided no further details regarding the scope. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past supported US airstrikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in regional waters, actions that have allegedly resulted in numerous fatalities, among them a number of Trinidadian citizens. Initial Claims and Subsequent Revelations At first, Persad-Bissessar claimed a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was transporting marines to assist with a local road construction project. Yet, following photographic evidence of the defense system, she acknowledged that no fewer than 100 marines were present in the country, along with the powerful radar. This system, thought to be a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is described as air surveillance, air defense, and counter-fire capabilities. Proximity and Geography The twin-island nation is situated a mere seven miles from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. It has two primary airports: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago. This development follows a previous incident in October, when a US naval vessel was stationed in Trinidad's capital, as part of the Trump administration's growing military pressure against Venezuela. In related developments, Congressional representatives have raised questions about the lawfulness of the recent maritime strikes and have announced a congressional review.