Opposition criticises radar removal, selective TATT enforcement

2026-03-26 - 02:54

Senior Reporter dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt The Opposition is continuing to press the government over what it describes as unanswered questions surrounding the installation and sudden removal of a United States military radar system reportedly used for surveillance across Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking on the matter, PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales recalled that the Prime Minister initially said the radar was deployed to assist local law enforcement in combating crime and narco-trafficking. He noted that the Defence Minister later indicated the system would remain indefinitely as part of efforts to address drug and human trafficking. Gonzales also referenced earlier statements that US personnel would assist with infrastructure work and that the radar had contributed to a $171 million drug seizure at the Caroni Swamp in December. However, within weeks the radar was removed and US personnel withdrew, prompting fresh concerns about the true purpose of the deployment. “Is it that we no longer have the issue of drug trafficking and narco-trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago? Is it that our borders are no longer porous? Have all these issues now been obliterated, so that there is no need for a radar if, according to the Prime Minister, it was deployed to fight these criminal scourges?” Gonzales asked. “We are not fools, and we are not going to digest the daily diet of lies fed to us by the Prime Minister and her ministers,” he added. He argued that the removal of the radar and the departure of US personnel reinforced the opposition’s view that the system may have served a different, undisclosed purpose. Gonzales criticises TATT The PNM chairman also criticised a letter issued by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) to CNC3 News following the broadcast of remarks by former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, in which he referred to the Prime Minister as a “jamette.” Gonzales accused the regulator of selective enforcement, arguing that it failed to act when derogatory statements were made against members of the PNM. “Where was TATT when we were called paedophiles by the Prime Minister? Where was TATT when independent senators were described as bootlickers and low-level PNM functionaries? Where was TATT when the Prime Minister threatened to ‘cuff down’ the Member for Diego Martin North East? Where was TATT when she targeted our colleague from Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West, telling the Opposition Leader to ‘go and ask your small pin lawyer’? Where was TATT when members of the PNM leadership were publicly accused of involvement in narco-trafficking and using drug proceeds to construct Balisier House?” Gonzales asked. He described the letter as part of a broader attempt to undermine democratic freedoms. Tearing up the document, Gonzales added that while the opposition was not seeking to defend any particular media house, it would continue to advocate for fairness and accountability in the public domain.