Port of Spain, Oct 26 (EFE). – The United States Navy destroyer USS Gravely arrived Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago for military exercises as part of Washington’s naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea.
Trinidad and Tobago are very close to Venezuela, with the two countries being separated by just 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) at their closest point.
The ship anchored at a dock in Port of Spain at around 9.00 am under heavy security measures, EFE reported.
In addition to the destroyer, US Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit 22 is also expected to arrive.
In an interview with EFE, Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Vice President Edward Moodie highlighted the presence of the destroyer ship, pointing to a «lack of unity between civilian and military agencies in times of uncertainty.»
«This visit should strengthen collaboration and not confrontation,» Moodie said.
«Our goal must be to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian and security efforts go hand in hand,» he added.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed support for the deployment of military troops to the Caribbean nation’s waters.
For several weeks, US President Donald Trump has been deploying military units to the Caribbean, especially to Puerto Rico, to carry out military exercises for operations against drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.
On Friday, the Pentagon deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, the largest of the U.S. fleet, to the Caribbean, amid tension with Venezuela over military attacks against boats, which the US said were carrying drugs.
The United States has mobilized military vessels, a submarine, and fighter jets for anti-drug trafficking operations, which have so far left 43 dead in ten attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific.
It is expected that the ship and the other troops will remain in Trinidad and Tobago until October 30 to train with the local Defense Force, as announced by the islands’ Foreign Ministry.
Former presidents of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) expressed their concern about the increase in US military troops, ships, and aircraft, since they pose a threat to the security and welfare of its inhabitants.
«The ‘zone of peace’ has been codified and become a cornerstone in the architecture of our Caribbean sovereignty and the axis for our relationship with the countries of our hemisphere, Europe, and the world at large,» the group said. EFE
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