By Francisco Arias Fernández on December 8, 2025
The protection of the US radar in Trinidad and Tobago could serve as an argument for the opening of military bases in that territory. Foto: EFE
The tranquility and tourist atmosphere of Trinidad and Tobago are going through a nightmare, following recent local collaboration with Washington’s military forces.
Trinidad and Tobago has become a center of concern for the Caribbean and for tourism in the region, following the installation of a mysterious and super-powerful long-range spy radar as part of the U.S. military’s extensive presence in that country in its current military adventure against Latin America and the area.
The tranquility and tourist atmosphere of the islands are going through a nightmare caused by an intriguing local collaboration with Washington’s military forces, which, under pressure from the State Department, brought in ships, bombers, sophisticated aircraft, war exercises, troops, supplies, and a radar so important that, according to experts, it requires extensive anti-aircraft defense coverage with missile installations and a greater presence of forces.
The stage is set for the protection of the radar to be used as a solid argument for the opening of military bases in that territory, contrary to the concerted regional declaration as a Zone of Peace and the country’s survival as a tourist hub.
The installation of a new long-range US radar system on the island of Tobago, coupled with the threat of aggression against neighboring Venezuela, is negatively impacting tourism, a vital sector for the Caribbean country.
According to a report by the EFE news agency, the Tobago Hotel Association says that increased tensions have led to cancellations and concern that a military-type radar could turn the town of Crown Point, where the system was installed, into a potential target.
Questions and conversations about the radar and US military activity in Crown Point are common among tourists and citizens of Tobago.
The president of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, Reginald MacLean, told EFE that operators are entering a “difficult and uncertain period.”
Cruise operators are also reporting concern. The Trinidad and Tobago Tour Operators Association said cruise lines have already reduced bookings, and that one ship had canceled its stop in Tobago on December 5. In general, tour operators are facing a crisis due to declining bookings and arrivals. “If there is an invasion or an increase in military action between Venezuela and the US, it will affect all of us in the Caribbean,” said one of those consulted.
The radar is just one visible link in the chain of the Trump administration’s “new” National Security Strategy, which declares Latin America a “zone of dominance” or “natural sphere of influence” for Washington, reaffirms the “America First” doctrine, attacks migration, and announces the return of the Monroe Doctrine.
The strategy calls for a reconsideration of the deployment of U.S. military forces in order to prioritize the Latin American and Caribbean region, which is increasingly coveted for its reserves of oil, water, and rare earth minerals that are key to 21st-century industry, and the “backyard,” which Marco Rubio talks about as if it were his country’s personal property or subject.
Source: Granma, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English