T&T’s nomination for UN Security Council position under threat

KINGSTON (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago’s nomination for a position on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2027-28 could be in jeopardy following Port of Spain’s decision to support the United States in its military build up in parts of the Caribbean, well placed sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Monday.

They said that there is a perception in the region that some regional leaders are not happy with the view of Trinidad and Tobago, making reference to the statement put out by CARICOM over the weekend.

The sources make reference to Trinidad and Tobago’s position on the US actions, even in light of reports that two of their nationals were killed last week.

On Sunday, Trinidad and Tobago reiterated its position why it is standing apart from its CARICOM neighbours saying that the US operations are “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’ where all citizens can in reality, live and work in a safe environment”.

Last Saturday, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had met last week to discuss several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of the twin-island republic.

The meeting follows a series of deadly strikes by the Donald Trump administration targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels off the Venezuelan coast, the latest of which reportedly claimed the lives of two Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

“Save in respect of Trinidad and Tobago who reserved its position, heads agreed on the following: They reaffirmed the principle of maintaining the Caribbean Region as a Zone of Peace and the importance of dialogue and engagement towards the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict.

“CARICOM remains willing to assist towards that objective,” the CARICOM statement read.

Trinidad and Tobago holds responsibility for security in the quasi CARICOM cabinet and according to the sources, Port of Spain’s position calls into question the endorsement secured by Trinidad and Tobago under the last administration to serve on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2027-28.

Further, the sources said that Trinidad and Tobago may have also rendered itself ineligible to represent CARICOM given Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar’s view that the US military should kill all traffickers violently.

The Caribbean is also worried that her views are also causing friction among the wider Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as affect the ongoing collaboration pursued under the three non-permanent African countries and CARICOM, known as the A+3 block of countries.

The sources told CMC that in the past there has been an excellent working relationship with the grouping under St Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana, the latest two CARICOM countries that have selected to the UN Security Council in recent years.

Last week, the Venezuelan Ambassador to Dominica, Jose Durabio Moros Savelli, urged Caribbean countries to unite in opposing the military build, saying that it is important for preserving peace in the Caribbean.

“We should fully preserve the peace in the region … it is not just about Venezuela if the United States start a war in the Caribbean, it will be bad for all of us, our economy, our people,” Savelli said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has also criticised the deployment of United States naval forces to the Caribbean, calling them a source of strain that could undermine peace in the region.

“The presence of the armed forces of the largest power in the Caribbean Sea is a factor of tension,” Lula had said.

Colombia, one of the United States oldest and strongest allies in the region, has also come out against the military build up saying it is destabilising for all Latin America.

Colombia’ has rejected outright President Donald Trump’s claims that the naval ships, a submarine, and a squadron of F-35 fighter jets were there to tackle the drug trade.

The sources said that as a result of such opposition, the matter of Trinidad and Tobago’s selection to the UN Security Council is such that regional leaders should be asked to state their views given that they had in their statement reaffirmed their commitment to tackling narcotrafficking and the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, which continue to pose major threats to regional stability.

The CARICOM leaders had stressed that such challenges must be addressed through ongoing international cooperation and in keeping with international law.

In its statement on Sunday, Port of Spain said that the Trinidad and Tobago government “affirms that these operations are not meant to target law abiding persons, specifically fisherfolk and other seafaring individuals seeking to earn an honest living.

“Alternatively, all persons who may seek to engage in, or indirectly support, any illegal activities in the region, are warned that should they be so inclined, they do so at their own peril.

“The government of Trinidad and Tobago reiterates its commitment to the people of the Caribbean for the creation of a safer, stronger and more prosperous region,” the statement added.