By Peter Richards
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov 17, CMC – Former prime minister Dr. Keith Rowley Monday denied signing an agreement with the United States that would allow Washington to use Trinidad and Tobago as a staging ground to attack neighboring countries such as Venezuela, while reiterating that the Caribbean region should always remain a zone of peace.
“As the former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago and chairman of the National Security Council and the person who sat and talked with Americans throughout my term, there is absolutely nothing in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to permit any commitment from Trinidad and Tobago to breach the UN Charter or to intervene militarily in any of our neighbors or anywhere in the world,” Rowley told a news conference.
“Absolutely not so at all. Anybody from the government is saying that it is a lie. There is nothing in any document that I am aware of that prevents the sovereign government of Trinidad and Tobago from saying yes or no to any request coming from any country if we believe that it jeopardizes our sovereignty or put our vulnerability to the test. So let’s get that very clear,” Rowley told reporters.
SOFA governs the temporary presence and activities of US military personnel in Trinidad and Tobago. The agreement was first signed in 2007 and has been updated multiple times, most recently in December 2024. The newest version removed a specific expiration date, making it indefinite unless renegotiated, and is designed to facilitate military-to-military engagement and cooperation, such as joint training exercises and security.
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