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  • 1 year ago
The Movement for Social Justice has taken a position against this country's signing of military-to-military agreements with the United States, or any other country for that matter.
It says this is different from arrangements which allow law enforcement to combat crimes like narcotics and ammunition trafficking.
Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00The Status of Forces Agreement, SOFA, between the United States and this country was signed
00:06in 2007, but ratified in 2013 under the Kamala Prasad-Bissetta-led People's Partnership
00:13government.
00:14While SOFA sets the framework for how United States troops will operate should their assistance
00:20be requested by Trinidad and Tobago in, but not limited to, situations like natural disasters,
00:27Movement for Social Justice leader David Abdullah is of the view that aid can be provided if
00:32needed without the signing of these military agreements.
00:37The MSJ's position is very simple.
00:39There must be no military agreements with the United States or any other country that
00:45will facilitate or allow or permit any military personnel, we're talking about Navy, we're
00:57talking about Air Force, we're talking about Army personnel to be able to enter Trinidad
01:06and Tobago.
01:07However, the MSJ states that it has no problem with cross-border collaboration between law
01:12enforcement officials, such as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which aid in mitigating
01:19crimes like money laundering and illicit drug and arms trafficking, nor is it against those
01:25that provide training, etc.
01:27According to Abdullah, while Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has outlined the country's
01:31principled position on recognizing the Maduro government and the close relationship this
01:38country has with Venezuela, transparency is lacking.
01:42We continue to deflect on what was the content of the agreements that were signed by the
01:48Trinidad and Tobago government on the 10th of December by National Security Minister
01:53Fitzgerald Hines, who's a lamed up minister because he's on his way out, and the head
02:00of the U.S. Southern Command.
02:02Prime Minister did not say what those agreements actually enabled.
02:07The 2013 SOFA has been continuously renewed without any changes upon request by the United
02:14States Embassy.
02:16Based on an exchange of notes between the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry
02:20of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs dated December 5th and December 19th, 2022, the last agreement
02:27took effect on January 1st, 2023 and expires on January 1st, 2025.
02:34There has been no confirmation if changes have been made to the most recent agreement
02:39or if it has been renewed under the same 2013 terms.
02:43Abdullah notes that the National Security Minister has also not provided any insight
02:47into it, and he is of the view that the Prime Minister's assurances concerning Venezuela
02:52do not alleviate worry.
02:54He said his government would not allow U.S. troops to come into Trinidad and Tobago as
03:00a staging point to enter Venezuela, but that has a very important implication because it
03:08suggests that another government may allow troops from the U.S. to come in here to then
03:14go to Venezuela.
03:16So that gives absolutely no comfort at all.
03:19Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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