Abdulah asks Caricom heads: Address Trump, Cuba, Venezuela

THE Assembly of Caribbean People (ACP) has asked Caricom leaders to address certain matters when they meet in Barbados for their 48th regular heads of government meeting from February 19-21.

They did so in a letter on February 18 from their representative, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah.

The matters the ACP raised included future Caricom interactions with the new Donald Trump administration in the US, security, Cuba and Venezuela.

Abdulah referred to a series of executive orders Trump signed on January 20, after his presidential inauguration.

One dealt with the US deporting anyone who has entered its borders illegally, including criminals, and cartels being classified as foreign terrorist organisations.

Trump said, "All illegal entry will be immediately halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."

Abdulah said, "The impact of mass deportations by the US of persons who are or who were previously citizens of Caricom countries – these mass deportations, quite apart from placing new burdens on Caricom states to seek the welfare of the 'deportees' when they are dropped on our shores, are being done in a way that denies basic humanity.

"The images evoke those of our ancestors being enslaved. Caricom must speak out on this and engage the US administration on this issue."

Abdulah said Caricom must analyse the impact the shutting down of USAID and other foreign assistance programmes could have on Caricom in areas such as health and national security. He said Caricom should engage the US on this too.

Caricom, he said, must ensure the US respects the right of Caricom countries to have bilateral political, diplomatic and economic agreements/relationships with Venezuela.

He added this includes the continuation of the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) licences Trinidad and Tobago has for the exploration and production of natural gas from Venezuela.

On December 21, 2023, the Venezuelan government issued a licence to NGC and Shell to developand export natural gas from the Dragon gas field to TT.

OFAC, which falls under the US Treasury, played a key role in granting this licence under the Joe Biden administration.

Concerns were raised about whether the Dragon project could be in jeopardy after Trump won the presidential election.

The US$1 billion Dragon gas deal was first signed between TT and Venezuela in August 2018, but was left in limbo after the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2019. Trump was president at that time.

In a letter to Trump on November 6, the Prime Minister said, "The Republic of TT and the USA share a long and enduring relationship, founded on deep ties across many sectors, including trade, security, culture and people-to-people exchanges."

Dr Rowley added, "We look forward to further strengthening our co-operation in the years ahead."

At the TT Energy Conference in Port of Spain on February 10, Rowley said TT will engage the US on the importance to regional energy security of cross-border energy projects such as Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina .

Abdulah said the US must respect Caricom's position on the Caribbean's being a zone of peace and there "must be no military intervention in Venezuela and that none of our territories are used as jumping-off points for any such military intervention under the guise of bilateral SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) and other agreements."

At a news conference on December 12, Rowley said speculation that a SOFA signed between TT and the US gives the latter authority to deploy its troops in TT was baseless.

He said the SOFA can improve the quality of local security services through a relationship with US security agencies.

Abdulah repeated calls by the ACP and the MSJ for Caricom to urge the US to end its embargo against Cuba, which began in 1958.

"Cuba is now in a time of great difficulty, a difficulty not of their own making but due to the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the US."

He said the situation "has been worsened by the US unilaterally and without any justification whatsoever placing Cuba on a so-called list of countries engaged in the state sponsoring of terrorism."