🔗 Share this article Trinidad and Tobago Grants US Military Access to Its Airports As Growing Strains with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has announced it will allow the United States military to utilize its airports shortly. This decision follows heightening regional tensions between the US and nearby Venezuela. New Defense System Raises Questions The news comes after the installation of a sophisticated radar system at an airport in Tobago. National officials maintain the radar's intended role is for fighting local criminal activity, asserting it is not a base for offensive actions against any nation. Critics and opposition figures argue, however, that the partnership risks pulling Trinidad and Tobago into ex-President Donald Trump's ongoing political strategy against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Scope of Agreement and Government Explanation As per a foreign affairs statement, US activities at the airports would be “logistical in nature”, enabling resupply efforts and routine personnel rotations. Officials offered no specifics on the matter. The nation's leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past commended US operations targeting alleged drug ships in regional waters, strikes that have allegedly led to numerous fatalities, including a number of Trinidadian citizens. Initial Claims and Subsequent Revelations Initially, Persad-Bissessar said a US C-17 aircraft arriving in Tobago was transporting marines to assist with a civilian road construction project. Yet, when pictures emerged of the radar installation, she acknowledged that no fewer than 100 marines were on the ground in the country, along with the high-performance radar. This system, identified as a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is described as air surveillance, defense, and artillery detection operations. Close Neighbors Trinidad and Tobago lies a mere seven miles from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. The country 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, signaling the Trump administration's increased military pressure against Venezuela. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have expressed doubts about the legality of the aforementioned maritime strikes and have called for a formal investigation.