If re-elected in 2026, Farley Augustine will propose a referendum to achieve autonomy for the island.
On Friday, CNC3TV reported that Tobago Chief Secretary Farley Augustine questioned decisions by Trinidad and Tobago’s central government regarding U.S. military access to his country’s territory.
RELATED:
Dr. Keith Rowley Accuses Prime Minister of Trinidad y Tobago of Undermining National Dignity
“Augustine says if he had the authority, he would have rejected the military radar and U.S. military access to Tobago’s airport. He says the decision should have reflected the will of the people. He’s once again calling for a referendum to discuss what Tobagonians want as part of its autonomy,” the local outlet said.
If re-elected on Jan. 12, Augustine would raise with citizens the possibility of achieving autonomy for the island through a referendum that would be held in mid-2026.
“Speaking in Buccoo on Thursday evening at a Tobago People’s Party political meeting, Augustine said his party has a ‘blueprint’ for Tobago’s development, with a referendum on autonomy as a central element,” the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian reported.
THA NOMINATION DAY
THA Chief Secretary and Tobago People's Party leader, Farley Augustine, successfully filed his nomination papers for the THA election.
Augustine also reflected on his 4 years in charge of the island's affairs and the challenges his party faced.
Video by NEIL… pic.twitter.com/HBcbE7EzgW— T&T Guardian (@GuardianTT) December 19, 2025
The Tobagonian politician warned that he would call for public mobilization if the Trinidad and Tobago’s government does not accept the possibility of a referendum.
“And if the central government is reluctant to make legal provisions for an assembly, we will hold a nonbinding referendum and we will take the data or the results from that referendum and we are going to march forward to Port of Spain and say to Port of Spain this is what the people of Tobago want and we want nothing less than that,” he said, as reported by the local outlet.
Among the reasons cited for seeking autonomy for the island is the fact that Tobago lacks the legal authority to make decisions over natural resources located in its maritime space.
“When we talk about our autonomy, we are not accepting any autonomy bills where we can’t pass laws for our ocean. That is ours. That doesn’t belong to anybody else but us. That’s our own, that’s not theirs,” Augustine said.
"Another Caribbean chess move: Trinidad's airport access for US military as tensions simmer. Critics say this blurs the line between cooperation and becoming a geopolitical staging ground. Watch this space."https://t.co/0943D9FStO
— DestineeButler (@DestineeButler8) December 18, 2025
Previously, on Dec. 15, the government of Trinidad and Tobago, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, announced it would allow U.S. military aircraft to transit through its local airports in the coming weeks.
Central government authorities, who have backed the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, also confirmed the installation of a radar system and the arrival of two U.S. military aircraft.
While the Persad-Bissessar administration vows that Trinidad and Tobago is not involved in any war proposal, its authorizations come amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Caribbean, fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has explicitly stated his interest in appropriating Venezuelan natural resources.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | The United States reinforced its threats against the Caribbean region, after installing a military radar in Trinidad and Tobago, near the Venezuelan coast. pic.twitter.com/4oG5MKr17L
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 2, 2025
teleSUR/ JF
Source: CNC3TV – Trinidad and Tobajo Guardian
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.