Annoying the US Government

In May 2010, a new government was voted in by the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Almost immediately, the government set about overturning the foreign policy stance of the previous administration.  Most visibly, they have time and time again, turned their back on a traditional ally – the United States.

The previous administration was such a close ally of the US that President Obama himself visited.  This time around, the government has –

1. Repeatedly denied extradition requests from the US for wanted financial criminals hiding in Trinidad (who happen to be financiers of the ruling political party).

2. Strengthened their relationship with China.

3. Strengthened their relationship with Venezuela.

4. Dismantled the twin-island republic’s national security apparatus, leading to an apparent increase in drug trafficking.

All eyes on national elections due in 2015.

 

http://news.co.tt/public_html/article.php?story=20140212152304946

Note: The above reference link was live on February 2014, but it has since been taken down.

 

Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago to join for naval exercises

Wednesday, February 12 2014 @ 04:00 PM AST

Contributed by: jjob

Note: The above reference link was live on February 2014, but it has since been taken down.

Views: 119

Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela will conduct five days of joint naval exercises, the Venezuelan navy confirmed today on the website Defensa.com.

The marine protective services of both countries will take part in the exercises, which are being called “VenTri 2014,” from February 17 to 21, the navy said. The exercises will focus on search and rescue missions, aero-medical evacuations, maritime traffic control improvement, and a narco-trafficking interception on the high seas.

The exercises will begin from the port of Guiria, which is the nearest Venezuelan coastal town to T&T. Venezuela’s Air Force, Coast Guard, and Search and Rescue Unit will start the training exercises.

The planning of the maneuvers to be performed started at the end of last year, the report said. It came after Admiral Angel Belisario, head of the Strategic Region for Integral Maritime and Insular Defense, and Admiral Ramón Costero Corona, head of the Venezuelan Coast Guard, met with their counterparts from T&T.

Belisario was quoted as saying that he would not rule out the possibility that these exercises be conducted annually during the encounter.

The VenTri exercises will be carried out within the security and defense cooperation framework, known as the Ven-Tri Cooperation Agreement. The agreement reached in 2005 was ratified and relaunched last year when the “highest authorities of both countries met,” the website said.
US Taxation Singapore

 

Note: The above reference link was live on February 2014, but it has since been taken down.

 

Venezuelan Defense Minister Carmen Meléndez (at right) was present for this re-launch. The joint naval exercises would be the first since, the website said, the agreement became “inactive” in 2008.

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