Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has slammed a local newspaper for an article which stated that an agreement had been signed which allows the US to put troops in T&T.

Published today, the article stated that two recently signed agreements could allow the US Department of Defense to deploy forces to T&T in the event of a “conflict” in Venezuela.

At a media briefing today, Dr Rowley accused the newspaper of being irresponsible, saying the report would cause concern in the region.

However, he refused to say if anyone had contacted him directly on the matter.

Also, when asked to explain the agreement in question, Dr Rowley gave this response.

Dr Rowley said T&T maintains good relationships with Venezuela and the US, and will not facilitate a breach of the peace in the region.

According to a statement from the US Embassy, the recently signed agreements include: Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which will facilitate interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces; the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team (CBSI-TAFT); and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).

Ambassador Candace Bond and Commander of the U.S. Southern Command Admiral Alvin Holsey also congratulated Dr Rowley for T&T’s accession to the Treaty of San José and the SOUTHCOM Human Rights Initiative.

The statement goes on to explain the various agreements as follows:

The SOFA is an agreement which allows for military-to-military engagement. The United States and Trinidad and Tobago have had a SOFA agreement since 2007. The new SOFA will bring the agreement in line with U.S. and TT laws, and will have no expiration date unless renegotiated.

The Treaty of San José, also known as the Agreement Concerning Co-Operation in Suppressing Illicit Maritime and Air Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in the Caribbean Area, is an international agreement that aims to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs in the Caribbean region. The multi-national treaty was signed on April 10, 2003. Trinidad and Tobago is signed up to the agreement as of December 7, 2024.

The SOUTHCOM Human Rights Initiative was implemented in 1997 by the U.S. Southern Command’s Human Rights office with countries under its area of responsibility. Signatories are committed to implementing human rights programs in their defense or public security institutions. Trinidad and Tobago is the 14th country agree to the initiative.

The CBSI-TAFT is a small team comprised of U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army engineers and logisticians who help select Caribbean coast guards and maritime-patrol units improve maintenance and operational readiness through technical assistance visits. The TAFT operations support U.S. efforts to strengthen regional security by bolstering the maritime security and counter-trafficking capabilities of Caribbean partner nations.

The ACSA is a formal logistics mechanism that allows the U.S. Department of Defense to exchange logistic support, supplies, and services directly between eligible countries and international organizations.