Senior US Military Official and T&T Prime Minister Hold 'Excellent' Talks on Regional Security

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine held talks on Tuesday with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and members of her cabinet reaffirming the “strong partnership” between the two countries, discussing also “shared priorities for regional security and stability”.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine greet each other at the start of their talks on Tuesday (US Embassy photo)The US Embassy had announced that the visit of Caine would “focus on the two nations’ strong bi-lateral relationship, strengthening regional stability, and regional unity on the vital importance of countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organizations”.

Joint Staff spokesperson, Joseph Holstead, in a statement following the discussions said that Caine and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar exchanged “views on challenges affecting the Caribbean region, including the destabilizing effects of illicit narcotics, arms, and human trafficking, and transnational criminal organization activities”

He said that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff “emphasized that close cooperation between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago directly contributes to safeguarding regional security.

“General Caine expressed appreciation for Trinidad and Tobago’s continued leadership and partnership in advancing mutual objectives and reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to working closely with Trinidad and Tobago to address shared threats and deepen collaboration across the Caribbean,” the spokesman added.

In a statement posted on X, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar described the talks as  “excellent” saying that both Trinidad and Tobago and the North American country “continue to share a strong and enduring partnership”.

Caine’s visit here comes as the United States President Donald Trump has ramped up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea ordering an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of his effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser have also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission. In addition, the US largest carrier, the Gerald Forde has joined the build-up

But the United States military has been bombing vessels in the international waters claiming that the occupants were drug traffickers without offering any evidence of such activity.

The United Nations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also strongly condemned the airstrikes carried out by the United States against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Volker Türk said in a statement that the strikes “violate international human rights law”, demanding that they be stopped immediately.

On Tuesday, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, called on Venezuela and the United States not to use warfare as means of settling their differences, insisting that the hemisphere must remain a zone of peace.

“I hope that both countries, Venezuela and the United States…restrain themselves and make sure whatever other path can be found diplomatically, negotiations to solve their problems at a different level that should be a priority.

“We don’t want any war in our hemisphere. Peace in the end is what everybody in this hemipshere wants. Nobody gains from a war. So I think if we can achieve that and maintain at the same time this unity going forward on that consensus based agenda we possibly will end up after five or 10 years in a better environment…and prosperity in the Americas,” he added.

Last month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had discussed several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of seeking a regime change in his country with its naval deployment in the Caribbean, saying “they are seeking a regime change through military threat”.

He has also accused Persad-Bissessar of allowing Trinidad and Tobago to be used in carrying out the US plans.