PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Trinidad and Tobago government Sunday night denied that the presence of the USS Gravely in Port-of-Spain constitutes a “hostile provocation” of Venezuela.
USS Gravely docked in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday (CMC Photo)“The government of Trinidad and Tobago has repeatedly made it clear that it values this country’s relationship with the people of Venezuela given our shared history and close fraternal relations,” the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said in a statement.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez condemned the arrival of the USS Gravely on Sunday that the government said will involve in a joint military training exercise with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) and engage in other social activities.
“Venezuela denounces the military provocation of Trinidad and Tobago, in coordination with the CIA, aimed at provoking a war in the Caribbean,” Caracas said in a statement.
Rodríguez described the presence of the US guided missile destroyer so close to Venezuela t as an act of “military provocation” and accused Trinidad and Tobago of coordinating with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to “provoke a war in the Caribbean.”
Hours after the USS Gravely docked on the island of Trinidad, Caracas added that it had arrested “a group of mercenaries” whom it accused of mounting a “false flag attack” that could escalate into “a full-blown military confrontation”.
“This planned action perfectly evokes the provocations of the Battleship Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin, which gave rise to the war against Spain to seize Cuba in 1898, and which allowed the US Congress to authorize involvement in an eternal war against Vietnam in 1964, respectively, from which they emerged defeated by the Vietnamese people after facing incalculable destruction and regrettable human losses,” Rodriguez said, adding that Venezuela will always defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and its right to live in peace against foreign enemies and its vassals”.
But Port of Spain said that it has taken “note” of the statement issued by Venezuela regarding the presence of the US warship, insisting that both Port of Spain and Washington “have been clear about the specific purpose of this visit”.
“The visit of the USS Gravely aims to bolster the fight against transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian activities and security cooperation.
“it will also strengthen the longstanding partnership between both countries which has provided enhanced medical care and disaster preparedness, improved lives and strengthened communities in Trinidad and Tobago”.
The government also sought to reassure the wider CARICOM saying “it once more reiterates the commitment to the people of the Caribbean for the creation of a safer, stronger and more prosperous region”.
Last month, President Donald Trump ramped up US 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.
The United States military has carried out four deadly air strikes in Caribbean waters over the past few weeks against what Washington alleges are Caracas-backed drug traffickers. The Venezuelan government denies the charge, accusing the administration of being a threat to the peace and security of the whole region.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has said that she is “happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission,” and that “the pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently”.
