🔗 Share this article The Caribbean Nation Allows US Military Access to Its Airports As Rising Strains with Venezuela Officials in Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed it will permit the United States military to utilize its airports shortly. This move follows heightening strained relations between the US and its neighbor Venezuela. New Defense System Sparks Debate The news comes after the setup of a sophisticated radar system at an airport in Tobago. National officials have insisted the radar's primary purpose is for combating domestic crime, emphatically denying a launchpad for attacks against foreign states. Skeptics warn, however, that these arrangements risks pulling Trinidad and Tobago into ex-President Donald Trump's ongoing political strategy against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Scope of Agreement and Government Explanation As per a foreign affairs statement, US operations at the airports would be focused on logistics, facilitating supply replenishment and standard troop rotations. The statement did not elaborate on the matter. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has in the past praised US military strikes targeting alleged drug ships in regional waters, strikes that have reportedly led to dozens of fatalities, among them a number of Trinidadian citizens. Initial Claims and Subsequent Revelations At first, Persad-Bissessar stated a US C-17 aircraft that landed in Tobago was transporting marines to help on a civilian road construction project. Yet, when pictures emerged of the radar installation, she conceded that no fewer than 100 marines were on the ground 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 aerial monitoring, air defense, and artillery detection operations. Proximity and Geography Trinidad and Tobago lies extremely close from Venezuela at their narrowest separation. The country has main airports: Piarco International in Trinidad and ANR Robinson International in Tobago. This development comes after a prior event in October, when a US naval vessel was stationed in Trinidad's capital, signaling the Trump administration's ramped-up military posture on Venezuela. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have raised questions about the legality of the aforementioned maritime strikes and have announced a congressional review.