🔗 Share this article The Caribbean Nation Grants US Military Access to Its Airports As Rising Strains with Venezuela The government of Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed it will allow the United States military to operate from its airports shortly. This move occurs amid mounting geopolitical friction between the US and nearby Venezuela. Radar Installation Raises Questions The news comes after the deployment of a advanced radar system at an airport in Tobago. National the government have insisted the radar's intended role is for fighting domestic crime, stressing it will not be a springboard for attacks against foreign states. Government opponents warn, however, that the partnership could draw Trinidad and Tobago into former President Donald Trump's broader efforts against Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Scope of Agreement and Official Statements In a foreign affairs statement, US operations at the airports would be “logistical in nature”, facilitating stocking provisions and routine personnel rotations. Officials did not elaborate beyond this. The nation's leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past praised US airstrikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, actions that have allegedly led to dozens of fatalities, including a number of Trinidadian citizens. Initial Claims and Later Disclosures Initially, Persad-Bissessar claimed a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was carrying marines to help on a civilian road construction project. Yet, when pictures emerged of the radar installation, she admitted that at least 100 marines were stationed in the country, along with the high-performance radar. The radar, thought to be a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is used for air surveillance, defense, and artillery detection capabilities. Proximity and Geography Trinidad and Tobago is situated extremely close from Venezuela at their closest point. The country has two primary airports: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago. This development follows a prior event in October, when a US warship was stationed in Trinidad's capital, as part of the Trump administration's ramped-up military posture against Venezuela. Meanwhile, American legislators have expressed doubts about the legality of the recent maritime strikes and have called for a formal investigation.