PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Prime Minister Keith Rowley Thursday dismissed a newspaper story indicating that Port of Spain had signed an agreement with the United States allowing the North American country to deploy forces to Trinidad and Tobago in the event of a “conflict” in Venezuela.

“I had to say this today, this had to be responded to by the leadership of this country, to put to bed where there is disquiet, because this article could have far reaching consequences, not based on fact, not based on any serious research, not based on any understanding of the issue that you are trying to address,” Rowley told a news conference.

“Where did you get it from that we are in a position to make Trinidad and Tobago available to the United States for troops against Venezuela. This is a serious matter. If a country is making is territory available for another country to stage military action against that country, that is a serious matter.

“And if I don’t come here today as Prime Minister and denounce this irresponsibility, if you were in Venezuela what would you think? What would you think? And if you are in Venezuela where Trinidad and Tobago are negotiating with you all kinds of important matters, but making its territory available for American incursions in the event that it is determined that Venezuela has instability, what would you think,” Prime Minister Rowley told reporters, following the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Newsday newspaper reported Thursday that National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds signed off on five agreements with the United States on December 10, two of which can allow the US Department of Defense (DoD) to deploy forces to this oil rich twin island Republic in the event of a “conflict” in Venezuela.

The paper quoted a December 10 statement issued by the US Embassy here stating that Rowley, Hinds as well as Energy Minister Stuart Young, Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Foreign Affairs Minister Amery Browne met and held talks with US diplomatic and navy officials on security, energy, cybersecurity and human-rights issues.

Earlier this week, defence and security leaders from the Caribbean met here to exchange ideas, experiences, and perspectives on regional collaborative efforts to address security challenges in the 21st century.

The 2024 Caribbean Nations Security Conference (Cansec) on Wednesday was also attended by United States Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, the Commander of the US Southern Command (Southcom).

According to the US Embassy statement issued on December 10, United States Ambassador Candace Bond and Admiral Holsey met with Prime Minister Rowley and other government ministers for discussions “on security, energy, cybersecurity, and human rights cooperation.”

It said at the meeting, Ambassador Bond, Admiral Holsey, and Prime Minister Rowley celebrated the successful conclusion of negotiations on a 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).

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 US and TT laws and will have no expiration date unless renegotiated, according to the US Embassy.

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

The embassy statement said that Ambassador Bond and Admiral Holsey also congratulated Prime Minister Rowley for Trinidad and Tobago’s accession to the Treaty of San José and the Southcom Human Rights Initiative.

“Trinidad and Tobago’s leadership in implementing this framework for security cooperation demonstrates its potential as the cornerstone of peace and security in the Caribbean, and has opened the door to unprecedented and unequalled opportunities for defensmce cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States,” it said.

For his part, Admiral Holsey is quoted in the statement as saying “the United States is committed to providing expertise and resources to enhance Trinidad and Tobago’s security capabilities, and these agreements deepen strategic collaboration on a host of issues.”

In the front page story on Thursday, Newsday said that it understood that “Cabinet approved the SOFA at its meeting on December 7 and the document was sent to attorneys for the DoD, the National Security Minister, the Attorney General and the TT Defence Force for final “scrubbing” before being signed on December 10,” it said adding that “this agreement will take effect on January 1, 2025.

“The renegotiations included clarification of the language used in the agreement, including that it allows for civilian employees of the DoD to qualify for immunities. The agreement does not cover contractors employed with the DoD. It also makes allowances for DoD law-enforcement officers to carry firearms while deployed in TT and for driver’s permits for those employees, the paper reported, adding “in the event of a conflict on TT’s doorstep in Venezuela, the US can also deploy troops to TT for a possible response by enacting the SOFA. As the southernmost country in the Caribbean, TT is mere miles away from Venezuela. Its closest point is Cedros”.

The newspaper said that Guyana has also signed a SOFA with Washington.

“While Newsday has not seen the current agreement, the SOFA signed in 2006 between Guyana and the US allows for DoD military and civilian employees to be granted status equal to US Embassy staff; be allowed to enter and leave Guyana with their US Government IDs; have their driver’s permits – issued in the US – accepted for use in Guyana; be authorised to wear their US-issued uniforms in Guyana; and be permitted to bring weapons into Guyana based on their orders, among other provisions.”

The newspaper said that the “ACSA agreement, also signed on December 10, provides a similar opportunity for US troops to be deployed to TT to respond to conflicts in Venezuela”.

But Prime Minister Rowley told reporters that he was “disturbed” by the newspaper article, particularly when it is well known that Trinidad and Tobago does not interfere in the internal affairs of countries and is a leading playing in ensuring that the Caribbean remains a zone of peace.

“I know there are people in this country…who would like our initiatives to bear no fruit and to come to nought. But this is going too far. This is going too far,” he said.

Rowley said that there are three national newspapers in the country and the visit of Admiral Holsey was “well known and well covered by our media and the American media.

‘How come the other two newspapers did not have this in their story…if that was the outcome and that was the position…where did this come from,” said Rowley, confirming the contents of the US Embassy statement on the deliberations with the US officials.

He said Trinidad and Tobago and the United States enjoy good relations with Washington even providing the country with two aircrafts to patrol the country’s  marine space.

“They have pretty much come to the end of their useful life and we are paying a huge amount of money now to maintain them…we have been trying to replace them by seeking assistance from the United States to replace them,” he said.

Rowley said while it “appears now that that would not be forthcoming because of the US government policy” his administration has been holding talks with US EX-IM bank on utilising US$500 million that is being made available to Port of Spain “to meet its needs and matters of national security and other things” including the replacement of the two aircrafts.

“That is where we are right now. That’s the kind of relationship we have,” Rowley said, noting that when Admiral Holsey became head of Southcom, one of the first countries he visited was Trinidad and Tobago.

Rowley said also many local security officials participate in training in the United States, “but none of that has anything to do with any potential for the placement of United States troops in Trinidad and Tobago with a view to dealing with any issue in Venezuela”.

Rowley said that apart from the US, Port of Spain also relies on other Western countries including the British and French to help in the event of natural disasters or transnational criminal activities.

“This is a normal days work in Trinidad and Tobago, Why would that be transmitted on the front page of a newspaper, misrepresenting the fact that this has to do with Trinidad and Tobago making its territory available when in fact it is the opposite.