Former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is demanding that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar disclose how many Trinidad and Tobago citizens her administration has reported to United States authorities in connection with visa matters, intensifying an increasingly contentious political dispute over the treatment of nationals seeking to travel to the United States.
Rowley raised the question publicly amid growing controversy surrounding the revocation of U.S. visas belonging to some Trinidad and Tobago nationals. He is questioning whether information supplied by the government contributed to decisions by U.S. authorities to withdraw visas from citizens.
- Advertisement -
The former prime minister has called on Persad-Bissessar to state how many citizens have been reported and to explain the circumstances surrounding any information shared with Washington. His questions come after the U.S. Department of State announced on August 10 that visas had been revoked from certain individuals, prompting renewed scrutiny over the relationship between the Trinidad and Tobago Government and U.S. authorities.
Rowley is particularly challenging the government over whether citizens were singled out because of their political affiliations or activities. The former prime minister has previously accused the Persad-Bissessar administration of targeting individuals based on perceived political connections, allegations the government has not accepted.
The dispute adds another layer to already sensitive relations between Port of Spain and Washington. Persad-Bissessar has pursued closer cooperation with the United States on regional security and the fight against drug trafficking, while her administration has faced criticism from opponents over the extent of that cooperation and its implications for Trinidad and Tobago’s sovereignty.
The issue is also politically significant because Persad-Bissessar returned to office as prime minister in May 2025 after the United National Congress-led coalition won the general election, ending the People’s National Movement’s decade-long period in government.
Rowley, who served as prime minister from 2015 until 2025, has remained an outspoken critic of the administration since leaving office. His latest intervention places the question of citizens’ U.S. visas directly into the wider political debate over transparency, national sovereignty and the government’s relationship with Washington.
The former prime minister’s demand also comes at a time when U.S.-Trinidad and Tobago relations have become increasingly consequential because of the two countries’ cooperation on regional security, particularly concerning Venezuela and transnational organised crime. The government has sought to strengthen its partnership with Washington, while critics have questioned whether some aspects of that relationship could expose Trinidad and Tobago nationals to political or diplomatic repercussions.
For now, there has been no publicly established figure detailing how many Trinidad and Tobago citizens the government may have reported to U.S. authorities. Rowley’s demand for disclosure is therefore likely to keep the controversy alive as pressure mounts on the administration to explain what information, if any, has been shared with Washington and under what circumstances.
The exchange highlights the increasingly sharp political divide between Rowley and Persad-Bissessar, with questions surrounding U.S. visa decisions now becoming part of a broader national conversation about government accountability and the protection of citizens’ interests abroad.
