THE US is continuing to assist TT in the fight against crime, and its latest demonstration of that commitment is the US$653,000 donation of 45 military radios by visiting Major General Julian Cheater of the US Southern Command to the TT Defence Force on July 19.
Speaking at the celebrations of the 248th anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America on July 19 at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, US Ambassador to TT Candace Bond mentioned some of the ways the US was “working alongside TT to build a safer and more secure future for the region.”
She also condemned the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump at a political rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. Trump, the Republican Party's nominee in the 2024 presidential election, was shot in the ear.
Bond quoted US President Joe Biden who said, “Politics should be an arena for peaceful debate, to pursue justice, to make decisions guided by our declaration of independence and our constitution. We stand for an America not of extremism and fury but of decency and grace.”
She added, “And this sentiment reflects tonight's theme, The Soul of America, because throughout our history, while we’ve experienced moments of tumult and division, our capacity to rise to the moment and come together as a nation is unmatched because of one shared truth.
“Throughout our great nation, there is a sense of relentless optimism that forms our core and guides us through this grand and messy experiment in democracy. It is that common aspiration to not let the things that divide us overwhelm those that bind us together. And that is the soul of America.”
Bond said the two countries shared democratic values and belief in individual freedoms and with over 250,000 TT citizens living in the US, they also shared a common history, and deep cultural and familial ties.
The relationship between the US and TT entered a new era about a year ago when Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his retinue visited Port of Spain to attend Caricom’s 50th anniversary. And again when the Prime Minister visited Washington in January to talk with leaders in government, including US Vice President Kamala Harris on topics such as finance, trade, and security and defence.
She recalled in May, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and National Security Ministry agreed to establish a vetted unit to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute transnational criminal organisations in TT.
They worked together to execute TT’s largest seizure of drugs during an on-land operation, secured the indictment and arrested a major narcotics trafficker. They also worked on community-oriented policing to reduce gang violence, uncovered cases of visa fraud, provided training to TT law enforcement officials, and provided support to TT’s K-9 unit.
“Because of the PM’s (Dr Keith Rowley’s) advocacy and push for a safer TT and safer Caribbean region, the Biden-Harris administration not only listened, but enacted a new policy to severely restrict firearm and munitions exports from the US to TT and
