10/18/2025
🇹🇹 𝐀𝐧 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐨
To:
Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,
The Honourable Prime Minister,
The Honourable Leader of the Opposition,
The Honourable Speaker of the House,
All Members of Cabinet,
All Members of Parliament—both Government and Opposition,
and All Local Government Leaders, including the Tobago House of Assembly,
I write as a daughter of Trinidad and Tobago, a physician, and a member of our global diaspora who continues to love and advocate for our islands wherever I go.
In recent days, many of us at home and abroad have been watching the escalating tensions between the United States and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with deep concern. Given our nation’s proximity - Trinidad and Tobago lying less than ten kilometers from the Venezuelan mainland - any military exchange, miscalculation, or spillover effect could have profound humanitarian, environmental, and economic consequences for our country.
I therefore implore our national leadership to speak to the nation, and to those of us in the diaspora. We are asking:
• What is the contingency plan for food security should maritime or air routes be disrupted?
• Are there sufficient medical supplies and emergency resources on both islands?
• How will citizens be safeguarded if an incident, deliberate or accidental, occurs near or within our borders?
• What mechanisms are being put in place to communicate safety instructions to the public if tensions heighten?
• And importantly, what role is Trinidad and Tobago playing to advocate for diplomatic resolution and regional de-escalation, in keeping with our proud tradition of peacebuilding in the Caribbean?
The U.S. State Department has already issued travel advisories for its citizens in the region, and we anticipate that other nations may follow suit. Trinidad and Tobago must likewise provide clarity and reassurance to its own people, at home and abroad.
I make this appeal not as criticism, but as a call to proactive communication, transparency, and preparedness. Even the loss of a single Trinidad and Tobago life would be a tragedy beyond measure. Our citizens deserve to know that their government is not only aware but ready to protect them and to guide the country through any potential scenario.
We are a strong and resilient people. We have faced hurricanes, pandemics, and economic storms together. With steady, visible leadership, we can also navigate this uncertain moment with confidence and unity.
Respectfully,
Dr. Cindy M. Duke, MD, PhD, FACOG
Physician–Scientist | Daughter of the Soil | Member of the Trinidad & Tobago Diaspora
