- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Aug 03:33

Sovereignty in troubled waters

THE EDITOR: Recent debate over the government’s statement supporting the presence of US naval assets in international waters near Venezuela has understandably stirred strong emotions at home. For many, memories of Iraq, Libya etc are still raw, and fears of another era of interventionism, this time in our own Caribbean, are not misplaced. Others worry about a fracture in Caricom’s long tradition of speaking with one voice on matters of peace and security. As citizens, we must hold these concerns in mind. Yet, from an international relations perspective, it is also important to understand the delicate balancing act a small island state such as TT must perform. The Prime Minister’s remarks come against the backdrop of very real threats to our national security. Guns, drugs, and gangs continue to erode public safety. These flows are transnational, often originating in South America and moving through our archipelagic waters. With limited coast guard capacity, any international effort to interdict these flows, if conducted lawfully and transparently, can strengthen our own fight to protect our communities. But this does not mean blind endorsement of intervention. International law remains the bedrock of our foreign policy. We must insist that any external operation in our region stay firmly within the bounds of international waters, respect sovereignty, and avoid entanglement in regime change. TT’s past stances at the United Nations, whether on Palestine or Cuba, show that we can support principles of peace and self-determination while engaging pragmatically with powerful states. At the same time, Caricom unity must not be taken lightly. Even if the government chose to voice a national position, our long-term diplomatic strength lies in collective bargaining. Climate change, development financing, and security cooperation are challenges we can only tackle effectively as a bloc. Preserving the Caribbean as a “zone of peace,” as declared in 2014, requires co-ordination, confidence-building, and open channels of communication among neighbours. In the coming months, the way forward is not to retreat into division, nor to surrender to fear. It is to insist on guardrails: clarity that our support is strictly about fighting transnational crime, combined with continued regional dialogue and transparency at home. If we do this, TT can uphold both its sovereignty and its security, while still contributing to regional peace. JEREMY STEFFAN EDWARDS via e-mail The post Sovereignty in troubled waters appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.