🔗 Share this article Trinidad and Tobago Grants US Military Access to National Airfields As Escalating Strains with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed it will permit the United States military to operate from its airports in coming weeks. This decision occurs amid increasing strained relations between the US and its neighbor Venezuela. Radar Installation Sparks Debate The news follows the recent deployment of a sophisticated radar system at an airport in Tobago. National the government have insisted the radar's sole use is for curtailing domestic crime, emphatically denying a base for attacks against another country. Critics and opposition figures warn, however, that this cooperation might entangle Trinidad and Tobago into former President Donald Trump's ongoing pressure campaign against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Nature of Access and Official Statements According to a foreign affairs statement, US operations at the airports would be focused on logistics, enabling supply replenishment and standard troop rotations. Officials provided no further details on the matter. The nation's leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past supported US airstrikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in regional waters, actions that have reportedly resulted in multiple fatalities, among them several Trinidadian citizens. Earlier Statements and Later Disclosures Initially, Persad-Bissessar claimed a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was carrying marines to help on a local road construction project. However, when pictures emerged of the defense system, she conceded that at least 100 marines were present in the country, accompanied by the powerful radar. The radar, believed to be a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is used for aerial monitoring, defense, and counter-fire capabilities. Proximity and Geography Trinidad and Tobago is situated extremely close from Venezuela at their closest point. The country has two primary international gateways: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago. The airport access agreement comes after a previous incident in October, when a US warship was stationed in Trinidad's capital, signaling the Trump administration's growing military pressure against Venezuela. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have raised questions about the lawfulness of the aforementioned maritime strikes and have called for a formal investigation.