The United States will hold new military drills in Trinidad and Tobago for five days starting Sunday, the Caribbean nation says.
The announcement followed a move by the US last month to senda guided-missile destroyer to the country for training exercises, a step that nearby Venezuela denounced as a “military provocation.”
On Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago’sattorney general was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that the US would “intensify” exercises in the twin-island nation, which sits a few miles off the coast of Venezuela.
Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign minister Sean Sobers on Friday denied that next week’s exercises would be a precursor to any potential US military action near the country, particularly in Venezuela.
While there are signs of unease globally over US action in the region, the Caribbean nation’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has championed US presence and has feuded with Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.
The drills will include the US Marine Corps’ 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, alreadydeployed in the region to support what Washington says is a mission to “disrupt illicit drug trafficking” in the Caribbean.
The government of Trinidad and Tobago said the exercises would allow US and its own troops to become familiar with each other’s tactics and techniques, and that its forces would be trained by the Americans to deal with domestic issues such as drug-related crime and gang violence.
In recent weeks,the US has amassed its naval forces in the Caribbean, also bringing its largest waship,the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, to the region. In response, Venezuela hassaid it is launching a “massive mobilization” of military personnel, weapons and equipment in the Caribbean.
This has raised fears that both the US and Venezuela may be preparing for a larger conflict.
While the US has characterized its regional build-up of forces as aimed at combating drug boats, some experts have questioned why so much firepower is needed for this purpose. They have notedthat USS Gerald R. Ford represents America’slargest military presence in the region since itsinvasion of Panama in 1989.
President Donald Trump has said he believes Maduro’s days are numbered and that USland strikes onVenezuela are possible. CNN has also reported that earlier this weekTrump was presented with options for military operations inside Venezuela. Trump has yet to decide on how to proceed, but he has previously voiced reservations about taking military action meant to oust Maduro.
Maduro recently urged the US against conflict, telling CNN his message to Trump was “yes peace, yes peace.”
