🔗 Share this article The Caribbean Nation Grants US Military Access to Its Airports Amid Rising Strains with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has stated it will authorize the United States military to operate from its airports in the near future. This development follows mounting geopolitical friction between the US and nearby Venezuela. New Defense System Fuels Controversy This statement follows the recent installation of a sophisticated radar system at an airport in Tobago. National authorities maintain the radar's intended role is for fighting local criminal activity, asserting it is not a springboard for military strikes against any nation. Government opponents warn, however, that these arrangements could draw Trinidad and Tobago into ex-President Donald Trump's intensifying efforts against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Nature of Access and Government Explanation According to a ministry statement, US use at the airports would be focused on logistics, assisting with stocking provisions and regular staff changes. The government provided no further details beyond this. The nation's leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past commended US airstrikes targeting alleged drug ships in regional waters, strikes that have allegedly resulted in multiple fatalities, among them a number of Trinidadian citizens. Earlier Statements and Later Disclosures At first, Persad-Bissessar said a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was carrying marines to support a local road construction project. However, following photographic evidence of the radar installation, she acknowledged that no fewer than 100 marines were on the ground in the country, along with the powerful radar. The radar, identified as a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is described as aerial monitoring, defense, and artillery detection capabilities. Close Neighbors The twin-island nation lies extremely close from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. It has two primary international gateways: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago. The airport access agreement 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 towards Venezuela. In related developments, US lawmakers have expressed doubts about the lawfulness of the recent maritime strikes and have announced a congressional review.