Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday categorically denied that Trinidad and Tobago had signed any agreement to allow the United States to place troops here in the event of any conflict in Venezuela.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain, Rowley took Newsday to task for its front page article yesterday headlined, “US can put Troops in TT: Government signs agreement as White House ups pressure on Maduro”, describing it as “irresponsibility of the worst kind” and based on either “incompetence, malice or both”.
The Prime Minister said the signing of the Southcom Human Initiative at the Diplomatic Centre on Wednesday had absolutely nothing to do with any Venezuelan issue and had everything to do with the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, “which is a very good one”.
The Newsday story quoted the US Embassy as saying the Prime Minister met with Ambassador Candace Bond and Admiral Alvin Holsey at the Diplomatic Centre, and the group celebrated the successful conclusion of negotiations on five agreements, including a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team, and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement.
Accusing the newspaper of acting against this country’s national interest, the Prime Minister said: “If I don’t come here today and as Prime Minister denounce this irresponsibility, if you were in Venezuela, what would you think? And if you are in Venezuela, where Trinidad and Tobago is negotiating with you all kinds of important matters but making its territory available for American incursions, in the event that it is determined that Venezuela has instability, what would you think?”
Asked later if he was referring to the Dragon gas deal currently being negotiated between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela when he said the publication of the article could hurt this country, the Prime Minister said he was referring to the relationship “that we have worked hard to foster, to tender, and that we rely on”.
The Dragon Gas deal is deemed to be critical for T&T’s future economic growth.
Dangerous incompetence
According to Rowley, immediately after the article was published, the entire Caricom became concerned “because it is so far from what Trinidad and Tobago represents and has represented in recent years, months and days”.
He added: “I cannot for the life of me understand who in Trinidad and Tobago would see it fit to publish a bold banner headline like that against the background of a picture of myself, Admiral (Alvin) Holsey, Minister (Fitzgerald) Hinds and the US Ambassador (Candace Bond).
“I don’t want to call this mischief. I simply want to call it dangerous incompetence, to tell the world that we have entered into an arrangement, to tell Venezuela that we have entered into an arrangement, to tell Guyana and to tell Caricom that this big picture (on the front page) is representative of an action that we have taken with the head of SouthCom (Southern Command) Admiral Holsey, and it is about us creating an environment where the United States can place troops in Trinidad and Tobago to respond to instability in Venezuela.
“Whoever did this is not acting in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago…I am so disturbed about this.”
“This is not a joke. To promise to make troops available in your territory where there are issues in another territory is a major matter in international affairs…. And if the editors here don’t understand the implications of what they have done, all I can say to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, you know who your real threats are,” the Prime Minister said.
A normal day’s work
The Prime Minister said the security agencies in T&T rely very heavily on the cooperation that they have with the United States.
He said Admiral Holsey, who became the head of SouthCom a few days ago, made this country the first one he visited.
He said Holsey talked about criminal elements coming from South America and threatening this country. He (Holsey) also spoke of the issue of assistance to this country in dealing with human rights, human trafficking and the environment.
The PM said many T&T law enforcement officers participated in training and the use of other valuable instruments, equipment and intelligence from Delaware, but none of that had anything to do with any potential for the placement of United States troops in Trinidad and Tobago, with a view to deal with any issue in Venezuela.
“That is a normal day’s work in Trinidad and Tobago. Why would that be transmitted on the front page of a newspaper, misrepresenting the fact that this has to do with Trinidad and Tobago making its territory available when, in fact, it is the opposite,” he added.
“We don’t countenance a breach of the peace in the region and we will not facilitate any such thing. And our actions speak louder than our words,” he said.
He said the assertions in the article ran contrary to everything that T&T has done.
He said that only days ago, the minister in the Office of the Prime Minister was in Caracas talking to the Venezuela leadership, and he (the Prime Minister) was in Barbados talking to the Americans.
“Caricom as a unit, we cover and protect ourselves by standing on the defence of Caricom, the Caribbean as a zone of peace, and we are not supporting anybody’s military excursion,” Rowley said.
“We have a very good relationship with Venezuela and we also have a very good relationship with the United States. We operate as an independent country, free to make our own foreign policy and treat with our associates as our national interest dictates,” he added.
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Publish date : 2024-12-12 11:00:00
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