Prime Minister Kamla Persad‑Bissessar has defended her decision to withhold details about the installation of United States radar systems in Tobago, even as she criticised the previous administration for leaving Trinidad and Tobago’s borders “exposed.”
Last week, Persad‑Bissessar dismissed suggestions that the US presence in Tobago was military in nature. “They are helping us with something to do at the (Arthur NR Robinson International) airport,” she said, pointing to work connected to a roadway near the airport. “It is not a military force as such. We are not about to launch any campaign against Venezuela.”
She has now acknowledged that she deliberately kept the purpose of the US deployment quiet, arguing that public disclosure would have jeopardised national security. “Since it is a sensitive national security issue which provides for the protection of our territory and citizens, I did not think it was wise on Wednesday outside the Parliament, to publicly broadcast to narco and human traffickers as well as other criminals that we were installing a radar,” she said. “It would be counterproductive to our citizens’ safety.” She added that the “security advantage has been lost” now that the upgrade has been made public.
According to the prime minister, the new system provides real-time monitoring of Trinidad and Tobago’s air and sea space—capabilities she said were lacking when her government took office. “When we entered government, we found an existing radar system that was functioning sporadically and inefficiently and did not provide cover for our entire territory. Our Coast Guard could not even access data in real time, in addition to the system being compromised,” she said. She noted that she had requested temporary assistance from the US Embassy “until we could get a permanent replacement for the existing system.”
On Friday, the Office of the Chief Secretary (OCS) of the Tobago House of Assembly said it was seeking full clarification on the radar installation at the ANR Robinson International Airport. In a statement, the OCS confirmed that US personnel had been conducting work at the facility, including installing equipment intended to enhance surveillance. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said he only learned of the prime minister’s confirmation after wrapping up a live interview on Wednesday. He stressed that while foreign policy is handled by the central government, the THA remains focused on maintaining the island’s stability and security. Augustine said he has since spoken with the prime minister and requested a detailed briefing.
The US had originally planned to install a similar radar system at the Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada. However, Grenadian authorities missed Washington’s deadline as they awaited a technical report, and the project faced public pushback from protesters in St George’s.
Persad‑Bissessar has long supported US-led efforts against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, despite international criticism of Washington over the deaths of suspected narco‑traffickers in international waters. She has openly stated that those involved in the illegal drug trade should be killed “violently.”
Some political analysts argue that the wider US campaign is a front for moves to weaken or remove the Nicolas Maduro administration in Venezuela. Maduro’s government has in turn accused Persad‑Bissessar of allowing Trinidad and Tobago to be used for attempts at regime change.
Tensions escalated further last week after US President Donald Trump said that land strikes against Venezuela will start “very soon.”
