USS Gravely Arrives in Trinidad and Tobago for Military Exercises Near Venezuela

The USS Gravely, a United States Navy destroyer, arrived in Trinidad and Tobago this Sunday to conduct military exercises over the coming days as part of Washington’s naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea.

This small Caribbean nation is located very close to Venezuela, with Trinidad Island being only eleven kilometers away from the Venezuelan coast at its closest point.

The ship docked at a pier in Port of Spain around 9 AM local time, under stringent security measures, as reported by EFE.

In addition to the destroyer, the arrival of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit from the U.S. Marine Corps is also expected.

In an interview with EFE, Edward Moodie, Vice President of the Red Cross of Trinidad and Tobago, highlighted the significance of the destroyer’s presence, noting it underscores the “lack of unity between civil and military agencies in times of uncertainty.”

“This visit should strengthen collaboration rather than confrontation,” Moodie asserted. “Our goal must be to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian efforts and security go hand in hand,” he added.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed her support for the military troop deployment in their waters aimed at removing Maduro from power.

“Trinidad and Tobago remains a sovereign state committed to peace and cooperation. The visit of the USS Gravely is part of that ongoing security collaboration in the fight against transnational crime,” she stated.

Although Moodie emphasized that the destroyer’s arrival is not meant for “confrontation,” it has been noted that for several weeks, the United States, under instructions from President Donald Trump, has deployed military equipment, particularly to Puerto Rico, for military exercises against drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.

On the previous Friday, the Pentagon deployed the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the largest in the U.S. fleet, in the same body of water amidst rising tensions with Venezuela due to military attacks on boats allegedly loaded with drugs.

The United States has mobilized military ships, a submarine, and fighter jets for anti-drug operations, which have so far resulted in 43 deaths in ten bombings targeting presumed drug-laden boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Both the destroyer and the additional troops are expected to remain in Trinidad and Tobago until October 30th for joint training exercises with the local Defense Force, as announced by the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, ten former heads of state from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have voiced their concerns regarding the increase in U.S. military troops, nuclear ships, and aircraft in the area, as these pose a threat to the safety and well-being of residents.

The respective former prime ministers of Jamaica and Saint Lucia, Bruce Golding and PJ Patterson, along with Kenny Anthony, and the prime ministers of Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Lucia—Said Musa and Dean Barrow, Baldwin Spencer, Freundel Stuart, Edison James, and Tillman Thomas—constitute this group.

“The ‘zone of peace’ has been codified and has become a cornerstone of Caribbean sovereignty and a pivot for our relations with countries in our hemisphere, Europe, and the rest of the world,” they expressed.

The-CNN-Wire
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