š Share this article The Caribbean Nation Grants US Military Access to Its Airports As Rising Strains with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has stated it will permit the United States military to utilize its airports in coming weeks. This decision occurs amid heightening geopolitical friction between the US and nearby Venezuela. New Defense System Raises Questions This statement follows the recent deployment of a sophisticated radar system at an airport in Tobago. National authorities maintain the radar's intended role is for fighting domestic crime, emphatically denying a launchpad for military strikes against any nation. Government opponents caution, however, that this cooperation risks pulling Trinidad and Tobago into former President Donald Trump's intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader NicolĆ”s Maduro. Scope of Agreement and Government Explanation As per a foreign affairs statement, US activities at the airports would be ālogistical in natureā, enabling stocking provisions and regular staff changes. The government did not elaborate regarding the scope. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past commended US operations 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 At first, Persad-Bissessar stated a US C-17 aircraft arriving in Tobago was carrying marines to assist with a local road construction project. However, when pictures emerged of the defense system, she acknowledged that no fewer than 100 marines were present in the country, along with the high-performance radar. This system, thought to be a long-range AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, is described as air surveillance, defense, and artillery detection operations. Proximity and Geography Trinidad and Tobago is situated 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 docked in Trinidad's capital, signaling the Trump administration's increased military posture against Venezuela. In related developments, Congressional representatives have raised questions about the lawfulness of the recent maritime strikes and have called for a formal investigation.