Trinis in the diaspora are grateful and thankful to Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar that nationals of T&T are not included in a list of countries suspended from receiving immigrant visas to migrate to USA. The government’s cooperation with USA in actions against Venezuela may have played a critical role in T&T not being added to the list of 75 countries sanctioned. Guyana is also exempted; it also supported Trump.
The Trump Administration is pausing immigrant (not visitors) visa processing for all of Anglophone Caricom countries except Guyana and T&T. The Department of State, in charge of visa issuance, said on January 14 is an effort “to crack down on immigrant applicants deemed likely to become a public charge” (meaning they will depend on public assistance). Studies show that more born Americans than immigrants receive public assistance.
A list of countries of immigrants in USA shows Caricom nations having similar percentage of those receiving public assistance. T&T and Guyana have not been penalized on immigrants visa issuance. It is known that Guyana has signed defense agreement with Washington, and T&T under Kamla is supportive of President Trump. DR is seeking to “strengthen defense relationship” with Washington, and Suriname is open to oil investment; Suriname was not critical of Trump’s intervention in Venezuela. Could it be that those four countries are not on the list because they have been supportive of President Trump’s action in Venezuela?
Support for Trump on Venezuela varies by nation, with some countries openly aligning with U.S. actions and others expressing concern over perceived interventionism. They criticized Trump’s approach, viewing it as a continuation of U.S. interventionism and a threat to regional stability. There are reports that Grenada turned down a request for an American radar station. If so, bad decision! A nation must think of its interests. The other Caricom countries, plus Brazil, Colombia, etc., opposed military strikes on narco boats were critical of Trump’s intervention to remove Maduro, are in the list. Chile and Argentina, with around same percentage as Caricom of its migrants on public assistance in USA, both supportive of Trump, are not on the list. Countries supportive of USA regional strategy appeared to be spared of sanctions; that is the nature of transactional politics.
Caricom leaders were very critical of T&T PM Kamla and President Ali for supporting Trump’s strikes on narco boats and in military intervention in Venezuela to remove Maduro. In retrospect, the leaders of Guyana and T&T acted strategically and diplomatically wise in supporting President Trump on Venezuela. If Kamla and President Ali had not supported Trump, those two countries could well have been added to the list of 75.
The leaders did the right thing; they listened to the views of the population who were and remain supportive of Trump’s actions in Venezuela. The public in both countries, except for the small number of leftists, are pleased to rid Venezuela of an authoritarian ruler who had threatened T&T and Guyana. Support for Trump is notably high in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago and among their diaspora in USA for removing Maduro because he threatened Guyana and TT. Kamla signed an agreement to place a radar station in Tobago and to enhance military cooperation with USA and deployment of American military equipment and personnel in TT.
While removing Maduro serves American foreign policy, the action has made the T&T and Guyana region safer and more stable. Maduro had threatened both countries. And he has been anti-American and China centric as well as Russia centric, adversaries of USA. The region remains a zone of peace.
Aren’t Trinis and Guyanese pleased that their leaders openly supported Trump? They could have been denied immigrant visas otherwise.
Separately, Washington announced a few days ago that up to 200 immigrant citizens will be denaturalized every month. Those critical of American foreign policy and anti-American will likely be targeted. Guyana and T&T support for Washington may help naturalized Americans from Guyana and T&T. Alignment with U.S. security initiatives are beneficial to a country‘s interests. Aren’t other Caricom countries ruing their decision on Venezuela?
