We note with grave concern the decision of Trinidad and Tobago to allow the USS Gravely to dock in Port of Spain from 22-26 October. The USS Gravely is a warship with advanced weapons systems that can operate helicopters, and which has been used in the USA’s murderous and criminal attacks on unarmed fishing boats recently. It also contains a marine expeditionary unit.
The government of Trinidad and Tobago claims that this is “aimed at combatting narco and human trafficking and other forms of transnational crime (and) are ultimately aimed at allowing the region to be a true ‘Zone of Peace’”. This is nonsense, the opposite of the truth. This act is an escalation of unwarranted and illegal US aggression against the peaceful nations of Venezuela and Colombia, but particularly Venezuela as Port of Spain sits immediately off its coast.
Only five days ago all the Caricom nations declared they would endeavour to make the Caribbean a “zone of peace”, except Trinidad and Tobago.
We denounce this warmongering aggression, and urge the government of Trinidad and Tobago to be a true force for peace in the Caribbean by refusing to allow the warship to dock for any more time.
We denounce the continued and foolish US provocations against the peaceful nations of Venezuela and Colombia, whose peoples stand ready to defend themselves from any acts of war.
