Mickela Panday
A US Navy destroyer will now sit in the Port-of-Spain harbour, a sight that speaks louder than any press release. Days ago, the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs announced the visit, calling it part of “regional security and cooperative efforts in the Caribbean”. At the time of writing, that was the only explanation given. But in a region already on edge over US-Venezuela tensions, the arrival of the USS Gravely raises urgent questions about neutrality and transparency.
The USS Gravely is no ordinary vessel. It is a guided-missile destroyer capable of anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, carrying 300 marines and advanced weapon systems. Its presence in our harbour may be temporary, but the questions it raises about sovereignty and regional stability will linger long after the ship departs.
This visit takes place at a time of growing tension between Washington and Caracas. The United States has stepped up its air and naval deployments across the Caribbean under the banner of counter-narcotics operations, but analysts warn that these manoeuvres are as much about political pressure as they are about drugs.
Our own Government, led by Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has expressed support for Washington’s security initiative while denying involvement in any regime-change agenda. Still, the optics of a US warship in Port-of-Spain at this moment cannot be dismissed as a coincidence.
Trinidad and Tobago has long prided itself on being a friend to all and a satellite of none. From Dr Eric Williams’ declaration that there would be no foreign bases on our soil, to our membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, our foreign policy was founded on independence and mutual respect. The question today is whether we have held to that principle. Cooperation is welcome and often necessary, but partnership without transparency breeds mistrust.
Mrs Persad-Bissessar has since appealed for calm, urging citizens not to “jump to conclusions” about the purpose of the USS Gravely’s visit. “There is no reason to panic,” she reportedly said. “This is a standard exercise of cooperation between friendly nations.” The people are not anxious without reason; they are asking for clarity and reassurance built on facts, not platitudes.
When questioned by the media, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo declined to comment on reports that parts of the Port of Port-of-Spain had been temporarily closed to accommodate the US vessel. “No comment,” he said when asked whether such a move might disrupt commercial activity or affect port revenues. For a government that has often spoken about transparency and accountability, silence on a matter of national interest, particularly one involving foreign military presence, is itself a form of answer.
Have the details of this exercise been shared with Parliament or the public? What form will the joint training take? Under what agreements? When foreign troops operate, even briefly, on national soil, citizens have a right to understand the scope and purpose. Sovereignty is not protected by silence; it is protected by vigilance.
Our geography makes neutrality a delicate balancing act. We are Venezuela’s nearest neighbour. Any instability there will affect us directly. Should open conflict erupt between the United States and Venezuela, T&T will inevitably feel the impact, through refugee inflows or the militarisation of regional waters.
This is why the Caribbean’s tradition of diplomacy and moral leadership must not be abandoned. We know the scars of intervention and the cost of alignment without consent. Caricom has always been strongest when it speaks with one voice, and that voice should now call for restraint, dialogue, and peace.
T&T can and should play a constructive role. We have credibility, proximity, and a moral responsibility to preserve regional stability. Cooperation should not mean compliance, and friendship should not require silence. Our leaders must ensure that, even as we engage with powerful partners, we do not surrender the independence that defines us.
If the Government believes this visit strengthens bilateral relations, then it should have no hesitation in explaining the framework, benefits, and limitations to the public. Failing to do so creates the impression that citizens are being kept in the dark about matters that directly affect national sovereignty.
As the USS Gravely lies in our harbour this morning, the Government must speak clearly to its people. What is this visit truly about? What safeguards exist to ensure that our neutrality and sovereignty remain intact? And how will our foreign-policy choices today shape the safety and independence of generations to come?
Citizens deserve more than ceremonial statements. They deserve honesty and transparency. Because once a nation gives up those things, it begins to lose control of its own story and eventually, its freedom to choose its own future.
True security does not come from the barrel of a gun or the shadow of a warship. It comes from unity, principle, and the courage to stand firm in turbulent times. The world’s seas may look calm on the surface today, but beneath them are deep currents of power and risk. Our task is to navigate them with wisdom, not fear; with cooperation, not submission; and with the steadfast conviction that small nations survive not by might, but by moral strength and independence of thought.
Mickela Panday is the political leader of the Patriotic Front and an attorney. Email patriotic.front.tt@gmail.com
