Questions remain about the presence of United States military aircraft and personnel in Trinidad and Tobago, after Defence Minister Wayne Sturge declined to say whether previously approved operations are still underway.
In mid-December, the Government announced it had approved the use of local airports by US military aircraft to conduct what it described as “logistical activities.”
However, when asked whether the United States is still using Trinidad and Tobago’s airspace, or whether US military personnel remain on the island, Sturge refused to provide details.
Citing Parliamentary Standing Order 27(1)(g), which allows a minister to withhold information if disclosure is deemed not in the public interest, he said: “The matters which the US military happen to be involved in are matters which I ought not to disclose to the public.”
When asked why he could not disclose whether the US is using T&T's airspace, he said, “obviously for national security reasons.”
The December announcement had drawn criticism from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), which argued that the arrangement risked positioning the country as what it described as a “satellite state” of the United States.
Although Sturge yesterday declined to confirm whether US operations are ongoing, he indicated there remains justification for the US presence within Trinidad and Tobago’s territory.
“It is necessary that they remain here, yes,” he said.
But People’s National Movement chairman Marvin Gonzales responded by accusing the minister of avoiding accountability, saying the repeated reliance on Standing Order 27(1)(g) raises concerns about transparency.
“This minister is also famous for citing Standing Orders 27(1)(g) to not answer simple questions. If there are foreign military presence in our country and he refuses to confirm and to provide an explanation as to the reasons for their presence without disclosing sensitive national security details, it confirms what we already know—their unfitness to hold public office.”
