On Saturday, the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived at the Port of Spain. This colorful and lively city is the gateway to Trinidad and Tobago, and the country’s capital. This visit is more than symbolic; it’s a major strategic move by the United States. Perhaps most troubling of all, it sharply increases military pressure on neighboring Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro. The warship will be in Trinidad and Tobago until Thursday. During that period, it will run training exercises in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago government.
The docking of the USS Gravely also takes place amid a new high of tensions in the region. Only a week ago, the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago was warning American citizens to “exercise increased caution.” They warned all Americans to stay out of US government installations in Colombia due to the same reported threat against Americans. This security advisory has resulted in an uproar among the local populace over the heightened US military presence.
Officials from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as U.S. officials, confirmed that training exercises involving the ship named USS Gravely were designed for that purpose. These exercises focus on mutual hazards, such as transnational crime. “We will build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts,” stated Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, a representative from the US military.
The USS Gravely’s strategically timed visit fits into the larger Trump administration military strategy. At the same time, the enormous aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is steaming even closer to Venezuelan waters. Like his predecessors, President Donald Trump has claimed that Nicolás Maduro leads an enterprise of organized criminals known as Tren de Aragua. This groundless accusation has only escalated the already growing escalation. In light of these developments, Maduro made clear that he would not tolerate US military maneuvers near Venezuela’s borders. He described them as efforts to create “a new eternal war” a la Venezuela.
Local feelings about the USS Gravely’s arrival are a little jumbled. The proposal has met with strong opposition from most local Trinidad and Tobago activists and residents. David Abdulah, a local activist, voiced strong opposition to the docking: “This is a warship in Trinidad, which will be anchored here for several days just miles off Venezuela when there’s a threat of war. That’s an abomination.”
In spite of this criticism, Trinidad and Tobago’s PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been unapologetic in her support for the US military presence. She has backed operations targeting suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela, citing rising violence and crime in Trinidad and Tobago. For the prime minister, her country is no longer a land of peace because every day there are murders or acts of violence.
A senior military official from Trinidad and Tobago noted that the USS Gravely’s visit was scheduled recently and underscores ongoing cooperation between the US and Trinidadian forces.
