PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC -Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, Monday, called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to provide information to the population after confirming the presence of United States military personnel on the island of Tobago.
Persad-Bissessar told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper that a photo of what appears to be a US military base in Tobago, in fact, shows what she described as “support offices” for the military radar system on the island.
She was responding to the newspaper after it published an exclusive drone photograph, which captured what it said “appeared to be a US military base near the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point, Tobago.
“The images show several trucks and utility vehicles positioned within the restricted area, along with a small tent and another temporary structure located close to the equipment, suggesting use for operational or shelter purposes. Several portable toilets were also observed at the site.
While she did not explicitly describe the compound as a military base, Persad-Bissessar told the newspaper, “The picture is self-explanatory. There is a radar with the support offices to operate it.
Persad-Bissessar later described the newspaper and the prominent opposition People’s National Movement as “appearing obsessed” with getting the “radar and the Americans out of the country,” saying that the only people who would benefit from such an outcome would be drug traffickers.
“Keep going, when people show you who they are, believe them,” she told the newspaper. When further questioned about whether the structure captured would qualify as a military base, Persad-Bissessar dismissed the question.
“Please stop wasting my time with this nonsense. Feel free to send any questions on sensitive issues in the future. Have a wonderful evening.”
But in a statement, the Opposition and PNM Leader, Beckles, said she had previously warned the country about the “actions of the Prime Minister,” and that her call for citizens to behave themselves was beginning to resemble the conduct of a dictator rather than a leader who respects accountability and democratic scrutiny.
“As this matter continues, that concern has only grown stronger. Her response in today’s Guardian that “the picture is self-explanatory” leaves the country with more questions than answers.
“Citizens should not have to go on a hunt for information that rightfully belongs to them, especially when the issue touches national security and sovereignty. Leadership requires openness, not dismissiveness,” said Beckles.
She noted that when pressed to explain what appears to be a military base, the Prime Minister chose instead to attack the PNM, with Beckles stating, “that response was reckless and irresponsible.
“Even more disturbing was her suggestion that genuine questions from the public are a waste of her time and mere nonsense. That attitude reflects contempt for the very people she is meant to serve.
“No Trinbagonian is obsessed but rather concerned. We are asking for clarity on a matter of national importance. What deepens the unease is the constantly shifting narrative. One day the story changes, the next day the tone changes. This inconsistency erodes trust and fuels uncertainty.”
Last month, Persad-Bissessar defended her decision to withhold details about the installation of United States radar systems in Tobago, even as she criticised the previous administration for leaving Trinidad and Tobago’s borders “exposed.”
She had also dismissed suggestions that the US presence in Tobago was military in nature. “They are helping us with something to do at the (Arthur NR Robinson International) airport,” she said, pointing to work connected to a roadway near the airport. “It is not a military force as such. We are not about to launch any campaign against Venezuela.”
But she acknowledged that she deliberately kept the purpose of the US deployment quiet, arguing that public disclosure would have jeopardised national security.
“Since it is a sensitive national security issue which provides for the protection of our territory and citizens, I did not think it was wise…to publicly broadcast to narco and human traffickers as well as other criminals that we were installing a radar,” she said.
“It would be counterproductive to our citizens’ safety,” she said, adding that the “security advantage has been lost” now that the upgrade has been made public.
Beckles said it is also deeply troubling that the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, Farley Augustine, who is campaigning for the January 12 THA elections and “who was promised Tobago Autonomy, appears to have been left in the dark on matters that should be shared as a matter of respect and protocol.
“I have always maintained, as every Prime Minister before has done, that Trinidad and Tobago must respect international law and maintain proper relations with all countries, including the United States.
“Every Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister before April 2025 has also accepted the duty of upholding and enhancing the value and importance of CARICOM solidarity and contributing to our regional integration movement.
“Additionally, our nation cannot consider itself well represented by a Prime Minister who demonstrates public disdain for international law, for the UN Charter, as well as such flagrant disregard for the concerns and questions of the population.”
Beckles said that the country “cannot be expected to accept unlawful interference in the affairs of a sovereign nation, particularly when the safety of our country, our people, and our facilities may be placed at risk by the decisions and utterances of the Prime Minister.
“I remind the Prime Minister that she holds office at the will of the people. She is not above questioning. She is not beyond accountability. This country does not belong to any one individual. It belongs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and we deserve honesty, transparency, and respect,” Beckles said in her statement.
Persad-Bissessar has denied being part of the efforts by the United States to effect regime change in Venezuela, where Washington has accused President Nicolas Maduro of being a narco trafficker, a term the prime minister is now using to refer to the administration in Caracas.
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