US Troops and Radar Spark Uproar in Trinidad and Tobago

By Staff, Agencies

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is under growing pressure after confirming the presence of a US military radar system and more than 100 American marines on its territory, raising fears that the Caribbean could be pulled into escalating US–Venezuela tensions.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar initially downplayed reports of a US C-17 military aircraft landing in the country, claiming it was linked to a road project and that no marines remained.

But videos circulating online later showed US Marines staying at a Tobago hotel, along with images of a sophisticated radar site.

Questioned by journalists, Persad-Bissessar admitted that US troops and what is believed to be an AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR long-range radar—built by Northrop Grumman—had been deployed.

She insisted the system was aimed solely at counter-drug trafficking operations and said the government withheld information to avoid alerting criminal networks.

The prime minister rejected claims that the radar is part of Washington’s pressure on Venezuela, while Defense Minister Wayne Sturge said the country was “not a launch pad for any military operations.”

Opposition voices accused the government of deception. Former national security minister Marvin Gonzales said the administration had effectively surrendered national sovereignty, warning that regional principles were being abandoned.

David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice, went further, accusing the government of complicity in “extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea.”

He said the radar’s installation drags Trinidad and Tobago into US military planning and damages the nation’s international standing.