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Trinidad and Tobago

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Overview

Trinidad and Tobago is a two-island nation in the West Indies, located near the coast of Venezuela. Originally settled more than 7,000 years ago, the two islands were populated by people migrating from South America and other surrounding islands. The Arawaks and Caribs were residing in Trinidad when the Spanish arrived, in 1498. The Spanish all but wiped out the Arawaks and Caribs, and Trinidad and Tobago quickly became destinations in the busy slave trade of the 1600s and 1700s. Several Spanish explorers tried and failed to civilize the indigenous people on the islands, until they finally surrendered to the British in 1797. The British Crown offered land grants to former slaves who had rendered service during the War of 1812, which increased the population. However, plantation owners faced a serious labor shortage as a result of the end of the slave trade and the abolishment of apprenticeship.  Because of this, indentured workers were imported and the cacao trade replaced sugar as the dominant crop. In 1857, oil was discovered in Trinidad, which resulted in the rapid growth of the economy and an increased standard of living. The two islands were incorporated into a single colony in 1888, and achieved full independence in 1962, joining the British Commonwealth. They became a republic in 1976. Though Trinidad and Tobago has undergone major changes in government during the past few decades, the country has worked with the US on issues such as the regional fight against narcotics trafficking,. Recent controversies have included the extradition of three terrorism suspects accused of plotting to bomb JFK Airport in New York, the investigation into a simulated rape onstage at a concert by “rape rapper” Akon in Trinidad, and outcry over plans to build an aluminum smelter in Trinidad.

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Basic Information

Lay of the Land: Trinidad and Tobago is a two-island nation in the West Indies, lying 7 miles off the northeast coast of Venezuela across the Gulf of Paria. Mountainous and densely wooded, the islands are actually a continuation of the South American land mass. Trinidad has two unusual natural features: the maracas Falls, 312 feet high, and Pitch Lake, 105 acres of warm gray tar.

 
Population: 1.0 million
 
Religions: Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Spiritual/Shouter Baptists 5.4%, Seventh-day Adventist 4%, Presbyterian 3.3%, Baptist 1.8%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.6%, Methodist 0.9%, Orisha 0.1%, other (Baha’i, Rastafarian, Buddhists, and Jews) 10.7%, non-religious 1.9%.
 
Ethnic Groups: Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%.
 
Languages: Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani, Trinidadian Creole English, Spanish, Trinidadian Creole French, English (official).
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History

The island of Trinidad was settled approximately 7,000 years ago, by the Archaic or Ortoiroid. They are believed to have come from northeastern South American around 5,000 BC, and one of the oldest settlements in the Caribbean has been found on Trinidad by archeologists.

 
In 250 BC, the Saladoid people came to Trinidad, most likely from the Orinoco River in Venezuela. These people also moved northward, settling other islands in the Caribbean. A third group, called the Barrancoid people, came to Trinidad in a third wave of settlements. Following the collapse of Barrancoid communities along the Orinoco around 650 AD, a new group, called the Arauquinoid expanded up the river to the coast.
 
The Mayoid cultural tradition followed, around 1300 AD, and existed until the time of European contact with Trinidad. These people, called the Arawaks and Caribs, were largely wiped out by the Spanish under a forced work program called the encomienda system. Amounting to little more than slavery, it required the locals to work in exchange for protection and conversion to Christianity.
 
Trinidad’s first contact with Europeans came when Christopher Columbus landed on the island on July 31, 1498. The island was originally densely populated, but by 1510, Trinidad was said to be populated by only “peaceful Indians” as a result of the slave trade, which supplied workers for the Isla Margarita pearl fisheries.
 
In 1530 Antonio Sedeño was granted a contract to settle Trinidad, with an eye toward discovering El Dorado and controlling the slave trade. In 1532 he was driven off following the Battle of Cumucurapo. He withdrew to Margarita and returned the following year and built a settlement at Cumucurapo. After failing to attract more settlers to Trinidad, Sedeño was forced to withdraw in 1534.
 
In 1553, Juan Sedeño attempted to settle Trinidad, but the contract was never fulfilled. In 1569 Juan Troche Ponce de León built the “town of the Circumcision,” probably around modern Laventille. By 1570, this settlement was abandoned. In 1592, Antonio de Berrio established the first lasting settlement, the town of San José de Oruña.
 
The Spanish established missions across Trinidad, and in 1687, the Catalonian Capuchin friars were charged with converting the indigenous population of Trinidad and the Guianas. Soon, tensions between the priests and Amerindians led to the Arena Massacre of 1699, in which several priests were murdered.
 
In 1783, the proclamation of a Cedula of Population by the Spanish Crown granted 32 acres of land to each Roman Catholic who settled in Trinidad, and half as much for each slave that they brought. Sixteen acres were offered to each Free Colored Person, and half as much for each slave they bought. As a result of revolts in Haiti and France, many people migrated from the French islands to Trinidad.
 
The island was surrendered to the British in 1797, when a fleet of their warships under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby took the island. The slave trade ended shortly thereafter, in 1807, and many British plantation owners experienced severe labor shortage.
 
Tobago’s development was similar to other plantation islands in the Lesser Antilles, but different from Trinidad’s. During the colonial period, French, Dutch, and British forces fought over possession of Tobago, and the island changed hands 22 times, more often than any other West Indies island. Britain took final possession of Tobago in 1803.
 
In August 1816, 700 former slaves from the southern US were rewarded for their service to the British Crown during the War of 1812 with land grants on Trinidad. Though slaves were officially freed by proclamation in 1833, the slaves on plantations were expected to remain where they were, and work as apprentices until 1840, when they were officially freed.
 
In 1834, Trinidad experienced its first non-violent protest, when an unarmed group of blacks began chanting their displeasure at having to work for six more unpaid years, drowning out the governor. Peaceful protests continued until a resolution to abolish apprenticeship was passed and freedom was achieved, on August 1, 1838.
 
Plantation owners imported indentured servants from the 1830s until 1917. Chinese, West Africans and Portuguese laborers came first, and were replaced with workers from India. As sugar plantations went under, they were replaced with those cultivating cacao. Chocolate soon became a sought-after commodity as French Creoles, white businesspeople from England and Venezuelan farmers competed in this new market.
 
Indentured laborers continued to bolster Trinidad’s economy, in the hopes of earning a free passage home at the end of their service. In 1853, the law was changed to allow workers to re-indenture themselves for an additional 5-year term or repay a proportionate part of their indenture fee. In the 1930s, horticultural diseases and the Great Depression brought an end to Trinidads’s cacao industry.
 
In 1857, the American Merrimac Oil Company drilled the first successful oil well in the world at La Brea on Trinidad. Between 1865-1867, the American civil engineer Walter Darwent discovered oil at Aripero. Efforts to begin production by the Trinidad Petroleum Company at La Brea and the Pariah Petroleum Company at Aripero were poorly financed, and abandoned after Walter Darwent died of yellow fever. By early 1907 major drilling operations began, roads were built and infrastructure built. Annual production of oil in Trinidad reached 47,000 barrels by 1910 and kept rapidly increasing every year.
 
The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago were incorporated into a single colony in 1888, and achieved full independence in 1962, joining the British Commonwealth. The two nations became a republic in 1976.
 
Trinidad and Tobago faced an economic crisis in the 1973, but the outbreak of war between Arabs and the Israelis led to the recovery of oil prices worldwide. High prices throughout the 1970s and 1980s resulted in higher standards of living across the island.
 
In July 1990, the Jamaat al Muslimeen, an extremist Black Muslim group, tried to overthrow the government. The group held the prime minister and members of parliament hostage for five days while rioting shook Port of Spain. After a long standoff with the police and military, they surrendered to Trindadian authorities.
 
Elections held in 2000 returned the UNC party to power, but power was short-lived. The government fell in 2001, with the defection of three of its parliamentarians amidst allegations of corruption. President A.N.R.Robinson appointed Patrick Manning prime minister despite the fact that the UNC won the popular vote and that Basdeo Panday was the sitting prime minister. Elections were delayed until October 2002, and then were won by Manning’s party. The PNM ended up capturing 20 seats, and the UNC 16.
In April 2006 Panday was sentenced to two years in prison for committing fraud in public office because he hadn’t disclosed a British bank account he held with his wife. His conviction was overturned in 2007, however, because the presiding judge’s actions were deemed biased.
 
Serious crime has led to a severe decrease in security, at a time when the resurgent Jamaat al Muslimeen continues to be a threat to stability.
 
Oil remains one of Trinidad’s largest exports, with estimated production in Trinidad in 2005 was about 150,000 barrels per day.
 
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History of U.S. Relations with Trinidad and Tobago

The US embassy was established in Port of Spain in 1962, replacing the former consulate general.

 
The US enjoys strong ties with Trinidad and Tobago, particularly along economic lines. These ties have grown stronger over the past ten years, mostly as a result of economic liberalization in the 1990s.
 
Trinidad and Tobago is the leading beneficiary of the US Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). A double-taxation agreement has existed since the early 1970s, and a tax information exchange agreement was signed in 1989. A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and an Intellectual Property Rights agreement were signed in 1994. The BIT entered into force in 1996. Other agreements include Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance treaties, which have been in force since 1999. An agreement on Maritime Cooperation was signed in 1996.
 
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Current U.S. Relations with Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidadian-Americans

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for 20 years from 1969-1989 and holds the
record for most points scored by any player in the league at 38,387 points, and won six
MVP awards and six NBA championships. His grandparents are from Trinidad and Tobago.
 
Alfonso Ribero is an actor, singer, and dancer best known for playing Carlton Banks in the
television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He kow hosts Catch 21 on Game Show
Network. His family is from Trinidad and TobagoHis grandfather was a Calypso singer known
as Roaring Lion and wrote the song “Ugly Woman..”
 
Heather Headley is an R&B and soul singer and actress who has won a Tony and Grammy
award. She was born and lived in Trinidad and Tobago until she was 15.
 
Larry Felix has served as Director of the U.S. Nureau of Engraving and Printing since January 11, 2006. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
 
US interests include a focus on increased investment and trade, as well as ensuring more stable supplies of energy. The US is also dedicated to enhancing Trinidad and Tobago’s political and social stability and providing assistance in drug interdiction, health issues, and legal affairs.
Recently, the US has become concerned with increasing illegal immigration northward from the Caribbean, and Trinidad and Tobago’s role in the narcotics trade prominent in South America and Mexico. The US has become especially conscious ever since in 2007 Russell Desfreitas, a Guyanese-American, tried to lead a group of Trinidadians to attack the fuel supply at John F Kennedy Airport in Ner York City. Charges have been pressed against Desfreitas.
 
International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs were suspended in 2003 under the terms of the American Service Members Protection Act (ASPA), because Trinidad and Tobago, a member of the International Criminal Court, had not concluded a bilateral non-surrender or “Article 98” agreement with the United States. However, when the Congress de-linked IMET funding from the Article 98 sanctions, a nominal allocation of $45,000 in IMET was reinstated for late 2007.
 
Currently, the main source of financial assistance provided to security forces is through State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement funds, Traditional Commander’s Activities funds, the State Partnership Program (with Delaware), and IMET.
 
The US government also provides technical assistance to the government of Trinidad and Tobago through a number of existing agreements. The Department of Homeland Security has a Customs Advisory Team working with the Ministry of Finance to update its procedures. Similarly, the Treasury Department had an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) advising team that worked with the Board of Inland Revenue modernizing its tax administration; this long-running project ended in October 2007. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, collaborates with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) and other regional partners to provide technical assistance and financial support for HIV/AIDS-related epidemiology surveillance and public health training in the region.
 
A total of 164,738 Trinidadian and Tobagonians live in the US. The most populous communities are in New York and Florida, followed by Maryland, New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts.
 
In 2006, 133,906 Trinidadian and Tobagonians visited the US. The number of travelers is up from a low of 111,820 in 2003.
 
Trinidad and Tobago (Council on Hemispheric Affairs)
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Where Does the Money Flow

The 2010 US Congressional Budget requested $1.43 million for foreign military financing for Trinidad and Tobago, up considerably from 2009 when $500,000 was requested. An additional $750,000 was requested for international military education and training, a category in which no money had been asked for previously. Another larger change came in the stabilization operations and security sector reform category, where $930 million was requested, up $830 million from 2009.

 
By contrast, Trinidad and Tobago received $1.3 million in aid from the US in 2007, all of which was dedicated to Peace and Security. Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs received $1.26 million, and International Military Education and Training received $40,000.
 
Overall, the US imported $393.4 million worth of goods from Trinidad and Tobago in 2009, the largest being natural gas. The U.S.exported $196.3 million worth of goods to Trinidad and Tobago, the largest category being oil and drilling equipment. This resulted in a $198.1 million balance of trade.
 
US firms have invested more than a billion dollars in Trinidad and Tobago  in recent years, mostly in the petrochemical, oil/gas, and iron/steel sectors. Many of America’s largest corporations have commercial links with Trinidad and Tobago, and more than 30 US firms have offices and operations in the country.
 
The US sold $2.3 million of defense articles and services to Trinidad and Tobago in 2007.
 
Trinidad and Tobago (BUYUSA.gov)
2010 Congressional Budget (pages 654-655)
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Controversies

Three Terrorist Suspects Extradited to US from Trinidad and Tobago

In June 2008, three men accused of plotting to bomb JFK International Airport in New York were deported to the US after losing an extradition battle with the appeals court in Trinidad and Tobago. Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur were accused of a plot to blow up fuel lines and tanks at the airport. They had been jailed in Trinidad and Tobago waiting to see if a judge would throw out their extradition order because local law does not allow for extradition on terrorism conspiracy charges.
 
Kareem Ibrahim later became so sick that the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn refused to jail him, and Federal Judge Dora Irizarry said that “he refuses to eat and he refuses to have medical attention given to him.” He had previously been hospitalized in Trinidad after suffering a mental breakdown, and his lawyer said he suffers from diabetes and claustrophobia. It is unclear whether Ibrahim, who has lost 85 pounds since his arrest and is under 100 pounds now, is trying to starve himself to death.
Defendants in JFK terror plot head to US (by Susan Candiotti, CNN)
 
Rapper Akon in Simulated Rape of 14-Year Old in Trinidad
In May 2007, hip-hop superstar Akon began touring the US with the help of major corporations like Verizon, despite the investigation of a simulated rape of a 14-year old preachers’ daughter caught on tape at a concert in Trinidad. Patrick Manning, prime minister of Trinidad, called for a formal investigation of the concert, whose venue has since been closed by authorities. Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds insisted Akon should be prosecuted, but due to a lack of witnesses, investigations reached a dead end and Akon was not charged.
 
The girl was permitted into the club, even though she was underage, and was part of an impromptu dance competition announced by the singer. Akon promised a trip to Africa for the winner. After the teen “won” the contest, Akon announced the Africa prize was actually him. The video showed Akon throwing the girl on the floor like a “rag doll” and simulating violent sex with her in various positions. The crowd cheered the entire ordeal. Akon and his managers refused to comment on the incident. Akon has already served five years in prison for other offenses. He says he is a Muslim and a believer in polygamy.
 
Aluminum Smelter Raises Controversy
In April 2007, activists in Trinidad and Tobago pledged to challenge the legality of a proposed plan to allow the construction of an aluminum smelter plant in Trinidad. They say that the plant would violate water and air pollution standards, which provide for public comment on standards before being approved by the parliament. In June 2009 Justice Mira Dean-Armorer ruled in favor of the activists and said the environmental clearance certificate granted to the smelter plant in 2007 by the Environmental Management Agency was invalid. Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago signed a multi-million dollar agreement in May 2009 to construct another smelter plant in La Brea, which is set to be completed in September 2013.
Smelter Plant (by Peter Ischyrion, FinalCall.com News)
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Human Rights

The US Department of State 2009 Human Rights Report found human rights violations in Trinidad and Tobago including police officers killing suspects, poor prison conditions, and unlawful detention. The situation with refugees also needs to be improved, as the government doesn’t protect those who may not qualify as refugees. The government has also postponed local elections for four straight years, with the last one being held in 2003.

 
According to the State Department, 43 people died in 2008 while they were in the custody of police or were in the hands of law enforcement officials. Although inquiries have been brought regarding these killings, only 6% have been researched and completed since 1999.. The number of criminal kidnappings increased to 178 in 2008 from 162 in 2007.
 
There were credible reports that police officers and prison guards mistreated individuals under arrest or in detention.
 
Conditions in the prison system’s eight facilities continued to be harsh. According to the prison service commissioner, the number of prisoners at the Port of Spain prison, originally designed to accommodate 250 inmates, increased to 528 in 2008, which is down from 599 in 2007.The average number of prisoners in each 10-by-10 foot cell increased from eight to 10. Because of this, two new prisons are being built, and temporary prisons may be to be utilized. Prison authorities also brought charges against 23 prison officers in 2008 for assault and battery or for poor conduct on the job, including possession of narcotics and provision of cell phones to inmates.
 
Police corruption continued to be a problem, with some officials suggesting there were officers who participated in corrupt and illegal activities.
 
There was a widespread and growing public perception of corruption. According to the World Bank’s worldwide governance indicators, government corruption was a problem.
 
Rape, including spousal rape, is illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment, but the courts often handed down considerably shorter sentences. The government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported that many incidents of rape and other sexual crimes were unreported, partly due to perceived insensitivity on the part of the police.
 
Many community leaders asserted that abuse of women, particularly in the form of domestic violence, continuesto be a significant problem.
 
The Ministry of Education’s Student Support Services Division reported that young school children were vulnerable to rape, physical abuse, and drug use and that some had access to weapons or lived with drug-addicted parents.
 
There were a number of cases of children who, either in their own homes or in institutional settings, were abused or, in some cases, tortured.
 
Nonviolent racial tensions regularly emerged between Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians, who each make up approximately 40% of the population. Some Indo-Trinidadians asserted that they were not equally represented in senior civil service and security force positions and among winners of state-sponsored housing grants and scholarships.
 
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Debate
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Past Ambassadors

Note: The Embassy in Port-of-Spain was established on Aug 31, 1962, with William H. Christensen as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.

 
Robert G. Miner
Appointment: Oct 23, 1962
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 1, 1962
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 18, 1967
 
William A. Costello
Appointment: Sep 13, 1967
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 26, 1967
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 17, 1969
 
J. Fife Symington, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 8, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 11, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Nov 14, 1971
 
Anthony D. Marshall
Appointment: Feb 15, 1972
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 22, 1972
Termination of Mission: Left post Dec 27, 1973
Note: An earlier nomination of Dec 7, 1971 was not acted upon by the Senate.
 
Lloyd I. Miller
Appointment: Dec 19, 1973
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 8, 1974
Termination of Mission: Left post May 23, 1975
 
Albert B. Fay
Appointment: Feb 4, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 17, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 5, 1977
 
Richard K. Fox, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 8, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 21, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 16, 1979
 
Irving G. Cheslaw
Appointment: Sep 28, 1979
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 18, 1979
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 1, 1981
 
Melvin Herbert Evans
Appointment: Dec 1, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 1, 1982
Termination of Mission: Died at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov 27, 1984
Note: Evans had left post on Nov 21, 1984.
 
Sheldon J. Krys
Appointment: Jul 12, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 19, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 24, 1988
 
Charles A. Gargano
Appointment: Jul 15, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 9, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 7, 1991
 
Sally G. Cowal
Appointment: Aug 2, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 27, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 22, 1994
 
Brian J. Donnelly
Appointment: Jul 5, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 5, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 24, 1997
 
Edward E. Shumaker, 3rd
Appointment: Oct 24, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 13, 1998
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 31, 2001
 
Roy L. Austin
Appointment: Oct 1, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 6, 2001
Termination of Mission: 2009
 
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Trinidad and Tobago's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Morean-Phillip, Glenda

Glenda Morean-Phillip serves as Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador to the United States, and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. She assumed this position on June 6, 2008. Morean-Phillip enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago in 1974. She engaged in active private practice as head of her law firm up to 2001.

 
During the period 1989-1991, she was the first female to be nominated to the position of president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and from 1992-1995 and 1998-1999, she served as a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association.
 
From 1987 to 2001, Morean-Phillip served as an associate tutor on the faculty of the Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies. She was also appointed by cabinet as a member of the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority from 1994-2001.
 
Morean-Phillip acted as a judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago from 1999 to 2000, and was appointed as a member of the Senate, the Upper House in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, in 2001. She was the longest serving female attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago, from December 2001 to November 2003.
 
From November 2003 to April 2008, she served as high commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago based in London, with accreditation to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Germany.
 
She was also appointed president of the Women in Diplomatic Service – a London-based group of senior female diplomats accredited to the Court of St. James’s, for a period of one year, 2006 to 2007.
 

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Trinidad and Tobago's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
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US-flag nation-flag U.S. Embassy web site

U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago

Estrada, John
ambassador-image

The former sergeant major of the Marine Corps is President Barack Obama’s choice to be the next ambassador to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Nominated July 30, John L. Estrada is a native Trinidadian who has been senior manager for Lockheed Martin Training Solutions since 2008. If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed Beatrice Wilkinson Welters, who had served in Trinidad since 2010.

 

Born circa 1955 in Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago, John Estrada immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14 and enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 18 in September 1973, staying 34 years and serving as sergeant major of the Marine Corps, the highest-ranking enlisted Marine, from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that, Estrada served as Sgt. Maj. at the recruiting station in Sacramento, California, from 1998 to 2000; as Sgt. Maj. of the Recruit Training Regiment at Parris Island, South Carolina, from 2000 to 2001; and as Sgt. Maj. of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, Florida, from 2001 to 2003.

 

After leaving the Marine Corps in 2007, Estrada worked as a business development specialist for engineering firm Coalescent Technology Corporation from 2007 to 2008.

 

Estrada earned a B.S. in Business from the online University of Phoenix in 2010.

 

In 2010, Estrada was appointed as a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission. He has also served on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, the national Board of Directors for Operation Homefront, and the executive committee for the United Services Organization. 

 

In 2008, after his retirement from the Marine Corps, Estrada publicly endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, eventually giving a televised speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, citing his “obligation... to protect the Marines, sailors and their families.”

-Matt Bewig

 

To Learn More:

Laventille-Born John Estrada Nominated US Ambassador to T&T (by Richard Charan, Trinidad Express)

Marine Corps Biography

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Overview

Trinidad and Tobago is a two-island nation in the West Indies, located near the coast of Venezuela. Originally settled more than 7,000 years ago, the two islands were populated by people migrating from South America and other surrounding islands. The Arawaks and Caribs were residing in Trinidad when the Spanish arrived, in 1498. The Spanish all but wiped out the Arawaks and Caribs, and Trinidad and Tobago quickly became destinations in the busy slave trade of the 1600s and 1700s. Several Spanish explorers tried and failed to civilize the indigenous people on the islands, until they finally surrendered to the British in 1797. The British Crown offered land grants to former slaves who had rendered service during the War of 1812, which increased the population. However, plantation owners faced a serious labor shortage as a result of the end of the slave trade and the abolishment of apprenticeship.  Because of this, indentured workers were imported and the cacao trade replaced sugar as the dominant crop. In 1857, oil was discovered in Trinidad, which resulted in the rapid growth of the economy and an increased standard of living. The two islands were incorporated into a single colony in 1888, and achieved full independence in 1962, joining the British Commonwealth. They became a republic in 1976. Though Trinidad and Tobago has undergone major changes in government during the past few decades, the country has worked with the US on issues such as the regional fight against narcotics trafficking,. Recent controversies have included the extradition of three terrorism suspects accused of plotting to bomb JFK Airport in New York, the investigation into a simulated rape onstage at a concert by “rape rapper” Akon in Trinidad, and outcry over plans to build an aluminum smelter in Trinidad.

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Basic Information

Lay of the Land: Trinidad and Tobago is a two-island nation in the West Indies, lying 7 miles off the northeast coast of Venezuela across the Gulf of Paria. Mountainous and densely wooded, the islands are actually a continuation of the South American land mass. Trinidad has two unusual natural features: the maracas Falls, 312 feet high, and Pitch Lake, 105 acres of warm gray tar.

 
Population: 1.0 million
 
Religions: Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Spiritual/Shouter Baptists 5.4%, Seventh-day Adventist 4%, Presbyterian 3.3%, Baptist 1.8%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.6%, Methodist 0.9%, Orisha 0.1%, other (Baha’i, Rastafarian, Buddhists, and Jews) 10.7%, non-religious 1.9%.
 
Ethnic Groups: Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%.
 
Languages: Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani, Trinidadian Creole English, Spanish, Trinidadian Creole French, English (official).
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History

The island of Trinidad was settled approximately 7,000 years ago, by the Archaic or Ortoiroid. They are believed to have come from northeastern South American around 5,000 BC, and one of the oldest settlements in the Caribbean has been found on Trinidad by archeologists.

 
In 250 BC, the Saladoid people came to Trinidad, most likely from the Orinoco River in Venezuela. These people also moved northward, settling other islands in the Caribbean. A third group, called the Barrancoid people, came to Trinidad in a third wave of settlements. Following the collapse of Barrancoid communities along the Orinoco around 650 AD, a new group, called the Arauquinoid expanded up the river to the coast.
 
The Mayoid cultural tradition followed, around 1300 AD, and existed until the time of European contact with Trinidad. These people, called the Arawaks and Caribs, were largely wiped out by the Spanish under a forced work program called the encomienda system. Amounting to little more than slavery, it required the locals to work in exchange for protection and conversion to Christianity.
 
Trinidad’s first contact with Europeans came when Christopher Columbus landed on the island on July 31, 1498. The island was originally densely populated, but by 1510, Trinidad was said to be populated by only “peaceful Indians” as a result of the slave trade, which supplied workers for the Isla Margarita pearl fisheries.
 
In 1530 Antonio Sedeño was granted a contract to settle Trinidad, with an eye toward discovering El Dorado and controlling the slave trade. In 1532 he was driven off following the Battle of Cumucurapo. He withdrew to Margarita and returned the following year and built a settlement at Cumucurapo. After failing to attract more settlers to Trinidad, Sedeño was forced to withdraw in 1534.
 
In 1553, Juan Sedeño attempted to settle Trinidad, but the contract was never fulfilled. In 1569 Juan Troche Ponce de León built the “town of the Circumcision,” probably around modern Laventille. By 1570, this settlement was abandoned. In 1592, Antonio de Berrio established the first lasting settlement, the town of San José de Oruña.
 
The Spanish established missions across Trinidad, and in 1687, the Catalonian Capuchin friars were charged with converting the indigenous population of Trinidad and the Guianas. Soon, tensions between the priests and Amerindians led to the Arena Massacre of 1699, in which several priests were murdered.
 
In 1783, the proclamation of a Cedula of Population by the Spanish Crown granted 32 acres of land to each Roman Catholic who settled in Trinidad, and half as much for each slave that they brought. Sixteen acres were offered to each Free Colored Person, and half as much for each slave they bought. As a result of revolts in Haiti and France, many people migrated from the French islands to Trinidad.
 
The island was surrendered to the British in 1797, when a fleet of their warships under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby took the island. The slave trade ended shortly thereafter, in 1807, and many British plantation owners experienced severe labor shortage.
 
Tobago’s development was similar to other plantation islands in the Lesser Antilles, but different from Trinidad’s. During the colonial period, French, Dutch, and British forces fought over possession of Tobago, and the island changed hands 22 times, more often than any other West Indies island. Britain took final possession of Tobago in 1803.
 
In August 1816, 700 former slaves from the southern US were rewarded for their service to the British Crown during the War of 1812 with land grants on Trinidad. Though slaves were officially freed by proclamation in 1833, the slaves on plantations were expected to remain where they were, and work as apprentices until 1840, when they were officially freed.
 
In 1834, Trinidad experienced its first non-violent protest, when an unarmed group of blacks began chanting their displeasure at having to work for six more unpaid years, drowning out the governor. Peaceful protests continued until a resolution to abolish apprenticeship was passed and freedom was achieved, on August 1, 1838.
 
Plantation owners imported indentured servants from the 1830s until 1917. Chinese, West Africans and Portuguese laborers came first, and were replaced with workers from India. As sugar plantations went under, they were replaced with those cultivating cacao. Chocolate soon became a sought-after commodity as French Creoles, white businesspeople from England and Venezuelan farmers competed in this new market.
 
Indentured laborers continued to bolster Trinidad’s economy, in the hopes of earning a free passage home at the end of their service. In 1853, the law was changed to allow workers to re-indenture themselves for an additional 5-year term or repay a proportionate part of their indenture fee. In the 1930s, horticultural diseases and the Great Depression brought an end to Trinidads’s cacao industry.
 
In 1857, the American Merrimac Oil Company drilled the first successful oil well in the world at La Brea on Trinidad. Between 1865-1867, the American civil engineer Walter Darwent discovered oil at Aripero. Efforts to begin production by the Trinidad Petroleum Company at La Brea and the Pariah Petroleum Company at Aripero were poorly financed, and abandoned after Walter Darwent died of yellow fever. By early 1907 major drilling operations began, roads were built and infrastructure built. Annual production of oil in Trinidad reached 47,000 barrels by 1910 and kept rapidly increasing every year.
 
The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago were incorporated into a single colony in 1888, and achieved full independence in 1962, joining the British Commonwealth. The two nations became a republic in 1976.
 
Trinidad and Tobago faced an economic crisis in the 1973, but the outbreak of war between Arabs and the Israelis led to the recovery of oil prices worldwide. High prices throughout the 1970s and 1980s resulted in higher standards of living across the island.
 
In July 1990, the Jamaat al Muslimeen, an extremist Black Muslim group, tried to overthrow the government. The group held the prime minister and members of parliament hostage for five days while rioting shook Port of Spain. After a long standoff with the police and military, they surrendered to Trindadian authorities.
 
Elections held in 2000 returned the UNC party to power, but power was short-lived. The government fell in 2001, with the defection of three of its parliamentarians amidst allegations of corruption. President A.N.R.Robinson appointed Patrick Manning prime minister despite the fact that the UNC won the popular vote and that Basdeo Panday was the sitting prime minister. Elections were delayed until October 2002, and then were won by Manning’s party. The PNM ended up capturing 20 seats, and the UNC 16.
In April 2006 Panday was sentenced to two years in prison for committing fraud in public office because he hadn’t disclosed a British bank account he held with his wife. His conviction was overturned in 2007, however, because the presiding judge’s actions were deemed biased.
 
Serious crime has led to a severe decrease in security, at a time when the resurgent Jamaat al Muslimeen continues to be a threat to stability.
 
Oil remains one of Trinidad’s largest exports, with estimated production in Trinidad in 2005 was about 150,000 barrels per day.
 
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History of U.S. Relations with Trinidad and Tobago

The US embassy was established in Port of Spain in 1962, replacing the former consulate general.

 
The US enjoys strong ties with Trinidad and Tobago, particularly along economic lines. These ties have grown stronger over the past ten years, mostly as a result of economic liberalization in the 1990s.
 
Trinidad and Tobago is the leading beneficiary of the US Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). A double-taxation agreement has existed since the early 1970s, and a tax information exchange agreement was signed in 1989. A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and an Intellectual Property Rights agreement were signed in 1994. The BIT entered into force in 1996. Other agreements include Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance treaties, which have been in force since 1999. An agreement on Maritime Cooperation was signed in 1996.
 
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Current U.S. Relations with Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidadian-Americans

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for 20 years from 1969-1989 and holds the
record for most points scored by any player in the league at 38,387 points, and won six
MVP awards and six NBA championships. His grandparents are from Trinidad and Tobago.
 
Alfonso Ribero is an actor, singer, and dancer best known for playing Carlton Banks in the
television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He kow hosts Catch 21 on Game Show
Network. His family is from Trinidad and TobagoHis grandfather was a Calypso singer known
as Roaring Lion and wrote the song “Ugly Woman..”
 
Heather Headley is an R&B and soul singer and actress who has won a Tony and Grammy
award. She was born and lived in Trinidad and Tobago until she was 15.
 
Larry Felix has served as Director of the U.S. Nureau of Engraving and Printing since January 11, 2006. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
 
US interests include a focus on increased investment and trade, as well as ensuring more stable supplies of energy. The US is also dedicated to enhancing Trinidad and Tobago’s political and social stability and providing assistance in drug interdiction, health issues, and legal affairs.
Recently, the US has become concerned with increasing illegal immigration northward from the Caribbean, and Trinidad and Tobago’s role in the narcotics trade prominent in South America and Mexico. The US has become especially conscious ever since in 2007 Russell Desfreitas, a Guyanese-American, tried to lead a group of Trinidadians to attack the fuel supply at John F Kennedy Airport in Ner York City. Charges have been pressed against Desfreitas.
 
International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs were suspended in 2003 under the terms of the American Service Members Protection Act (ASPA), because Trinidad and Tobago, a member of the International Criminal Court, had not concluded a bilateral non-surrender or “Article 98” agreement with the United States. However, when the Congress de-linked IMET funding from the Article 98 sanctions, a nominal allocation of $45,000 in IMET was reinstated for late 2007.
 
Currently, the main source of financial assistance provided to security forces is through State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement funds, Traditional Commander’s Activities funds, the State Partnership Program (with Delaware), and IMET.
 
The US government also provides technical assistance to the government of Trinidad and Tobago through a number of existing agreements. The Department of Homeland Security has a Customs Advisory Team working with the Ministry of Finance to update its procedures. Similarly, the Treasury Department had an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) advising team that worked with the Board of Inland Revenue modernizing its tax administration; this long-running project ended in October 2007. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, collaborates with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) and other regional partners to provide technical assistance and financial support for HIV/AIDS-related epidemiology surveillance and public health training in the region.
 
A total of 164,738 Trinidadian and Tobagonians live in the US. The most populous communities are in New York and Florida, followed by Maryland, New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts.
 
In 2006, 133,906 Trinidadian and Tobagonians visited the US. The number of travelers is up from a low of 111,820 in 2003.
 
Trinidad and Tobago (Council on Hemispheric Affairs)
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Where Does the Money Flow

The 2010 US Congressional Budget requested $1.43 million for foreign military financing for Trinidad and Tobago, up considerably from 2009 when $500,000 was requested. An additional $750,000 was requested for international military education and training, a category in which no money had been asked for previously. Another larger change came in the stabilization operations and security sector reform category, where $930 million was requested, up $830 million from 2009.

 
By contrast, Trinidad and Tobago received $1.3 million in aid from the US in 2007, all of which was dedicated to Peace and Security. Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs received $1.26 million, and International Military Education and Training received $40,000.
 
Overall, the US imported $393.4 million worth of goods from Trinidad and Tobago in 2009, the largest being natural gas. The U.S.exported $196.3 million worth of goods to Trinidad and Tobago, the largest category being oil and drilling equipment. This resulted in a $198.1 million balance of trade.
 
US firms have invested more than a billion dollars in Trinidad and Tobago  in recent years, mostly in the petrochemical, oil/gas, and iron/steel sectors. Many of America’s largest corporations have commercial links with Trinidad and Tobago, and more than 30 US firms have offices and operations in the country.
 
The US sold $2.3 million of defense articles and services to Trinidad and Tobago in 2007.
 
Trinidad and Tobago (BUYUSA.gov)
2010 Congressional Budget (pages 654-655)
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Controversies

Three Terrorist Suspects Extradited to US from Trinidad and Tobago

In June 2008, three men accused of plotting to bomb JFK International Airport in New York were deported to the US after losing an extradition battle with the appeals court in Trinidad and Tobago. Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur were accused of a plot to blow up fuel lines and tanks at the airport. They had been jailed in Trinidad and Tobago waiting to see if a judge would throw out their extradition order because local law does not allow for extradition on terrorism conspiracy charges.
 
Kareem Ibrahim later became so sick that the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn refused to jail him, and Federal Judge Dora Irizarry said that “he refuses to eat and he refuses to have medical attention given to him.” He had previously been hospitalized in Trinidad after suffering a mental breakdown, and his lawyer said he suffers from diabetes and claustrophobia. It is unclear whether Ibrahim, who has lost 85 pounds since his arrest and is under 100 pounds now, is trying to starve himself to death.
Defendants in JFK terror plot head to US (by Susan Candiotti, CNN)
 
Rapper Akon in Simulated Rape of 14-Year Old in Trinidad
In May 2007, hip-hop superstar Akon began touring the US with the help of major corporations like Verizon, despite the investigation of a simulated rape of a 14-year old preachers’ daughter caught on tape at a concert in Trinidad. Patrick Manning, prime minister of Trinidad, called for a formal investigation of the concert, whose venue has since been closed by authorities. Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds insisted Akon should be prosecuted, but due to a lack of witnesses, investigations reached a dead end and Akon was not charged.
 
The girl was permitted into the club, even though she was underage, and was part of an impromptu dance competition announced by the singer. Akon promised a trip to Africa for the winner. After the teen “won” the contest, Akon announced the Africa prize was actually him. The video showed Akon throwing the girl on the floor like a “rag doll” and simulating violent sex with her in various positions. The crowd cheered the entire ordeal. Akon and his managers refused to comment on the incident. Akon has already served five years in prison for other offenses. He says he is a Muslim and a believer in polygamy.
 
Aluminum Smelter Raises Controversy
In April 2007, activists in Trinidad and Tobago pledged to challenge the legality of a proposed plan to allow the construction of an aluminum smelter plant in Trinidad. They say that the plant would violate water and air pollution standards, which provide for public comment on standards before being approved by the parliament. In June 2009 Justice Mira Dean-Armorer ruled in favor of the activists and said the environmental clearance certificate granted to the smelter plant in 2007 by the Environmental Management Agency was invalid. Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago signed a multi-million dollar agreement in May 2009 to construct another smelter plant in La Brea, which is set to be completed in September 2013.
Smelter Plant (by Peter Ischyrion, FinalCall.com News)
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Human Rights

The US Department of State 2009 Human Rights Report found human rights violations in Trinidad and Tobago including police officers killing suspects, poor prison conditions, and unlawful detention. The situation with refugees also needs to be improved, as the government doesn’t protect those who may not qualify as refugees. The government has also postponed local elections for four straight years, with the last one being held in 2003.

 
According to the State Department, 43 people died in 2008 while they were in the custody of police or were in the hands of law enforcement officials. Although inquiries have been brought regarding these killings, only 6% have been researched and completed since 1999.. The number of criminal kidnappings increased to 178 in 2008 from 162 in 2007.
 
There were credible reports that police officers and prison guards mistreated individuals under arrest or in detention.
 
Conditions in the prison system’s eight facilities continued to be harsh. According to the prison service commissioner, the number of prisoners at the Port of Spain prison, originally designed to accommodate 250 inmates, increased to 528 in 2008, which is down from 599 in 2007.The average number of prisoners in each 10-by-10 foot cell increased from eight to 10. Because of this, two new prisons are being built, and temporary prisons may be to be utilized. Prison authorities also brought charges against 23 prison officers in 2008 for assault and battery or for poor conduct on the job, including possession of narcotics and provision of cell phones to inmates.
 
Police corruption continued to be a problem, with some officials suggesting there were officers who participated in corrupt and illegal activities.
 
There was a widespread and growing public perception of corruption. According to the World Bank’s worldwide governance indicators, government corruption was a problem.
 
Rape, including spousal rape, is illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment, but the courts often handed down considerably shorter sentences. The government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported that many incidents of rape and other sexual crimes were unreported, partly due to perceived insensitivity on the part of the police.
 
Many community leaders asserted that abuse of women, particularly in the form of domestic violence, continuesto be a significant problem.
 
The Ministry of Education’s Student Support Services Division reported that young school children were vulnerable to rape, physical abuse, and drug use and that some had access to weapons or lived with drug-addicted parents.
 
There were a number of cases of children who, either in their own homes or in institutional settings, were abused or, in some cases, tortured.
 
Nonviolent racial tensions regularly emerged between Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians, who each make up approximately 40% of the population. Some Indo-Trinidadians asserted that they were not equally represented in senior civil service and security force positions and among winners of state-sponsored housing grants and scholarships.
 
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Debate
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Past Ambassadors

Note: The Embassy in Port-of-Spain was established on Aug 31, 1962, with William H. Christensen as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.

 
Robert G. Miner
Appointment: Oct 23, 1962
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 1, 1962
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 18, 1967
 
William A. Costello
Appointment: Sep 13, 1967
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 26, 1967
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 17, 1969
 
J. Fife Symington, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 8, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 11, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Nov 14, 1971
 
Anthony D. Marshall
Appointment: Feb 15, 1972
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 22, 1972
Termination of Mission: Left post Dec 27, 1973
Note: An earlier nomination of Dec 7, 1971 was not acted upon by the Senate.
 
Lloyd I. Miller
Appointment: Dec 19, 1973
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 8, 1974
Termination of Mission: Left post May 23, 1975
 
Albert B. Fay
Appointment: Feb 4, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 17, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 5, 1977
 
Richard K. Fox, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 8, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 21, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 16, 1979
 
Irving G. Cheslaw
Appointment: Sep 28, 1979
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 18, 1979
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 1, 1981
 
Melvin Herbert Evans
Appointment: Dec 1, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 1, 1982
Termination of Mission: Died at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov 27, 1984
Note: Evans had left post on Nov 21, 1984.
 
Sheldon J. Krys
Appointment: Jul 12, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 19, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 24, 1988
 
Charles A. Gargano
Appointment: Jul 15, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 9, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 7, 1991
 
Sally G. Cowal
Appointment: Aug 2, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 27, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 22, 1994
 
Brian J. Donnelly
Appointment: Jul 5, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 5, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 24, 1997
 
Edward E. Shumaker, 3rd
Appointment: Oct 24, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 13, 1998
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 31, 2001
 
Roy L. Austin
Appointment: Oct 1, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 6, 2001
Termination of Mission: 2009
 
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Trinidad and Tobago's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Morean-Phillip, Glenda

Glenda Morean-Phillip serves as Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador to the United States, and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. She assumed this position on June 6, 2008. Morean-Phillip enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago in 1974. She engaged in active private practice as head of her law firm up to 2001.

 
During the period 1989-1991, she was the first female to be nominated to the position of president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and from 1992-1995 and 1998-1999, she served as a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association.
 
From 1987 to 2001, Morean-Phillip served as an associate tutor on the faculty of the Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies. She was also appointed by cabinet as a member of the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority from 1994-2001.
 
Morean-Phillip acted as a judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago from 1999 to 2000, and was appointed as a member of the Senate, the Upper House in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, in 2001. She was the longest serving female attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago, from December 2001 to November 2003.
 
From November 2003 to April 2008, she served as high commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago based in London, with accreditation to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Germany.
 
She was also appointed president of the Women in Diplomatic Service – a London-based group of senior female diplomats accredited to the Court of St. James’s, for a period of one year, 2006 to 2007.
 

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Trinidad and Tobago's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
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US-flag nation-flag U.S. Embassy web site

U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago

Estrada, John
ambassador-image

The former sergeant major of the Marine Corps is President Barack Obama’s choice to be the next ambassador to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Nominated July 30, John L. Estrada is a native Trinidadian who has been senior manager for Lockheed Martin Training Solutions since 2008. If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed Beatrice Wilkinson Welters, who had served in Trinidad since 2010.

 

Born circa 1955 in Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago, John Estrada immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14 and enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 18 in September 1973, staying 34 years and serving as sergeant major of the Marine Corps, the highest-ranking enlisted Marine, from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that, Estrada served as Sgt. Maj. at the recruiting station in Sacramento, California, from 1998 to 2000; as Sgt. Maj. of the Recruit Training Regiment at Parris Island, South Carolina, from 2000 to 2001; and as Sgt. Maj. of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, Florida, from 2001 to 2003.

 

After leaving the Marine Corps in 2007, Estrada worked as a business development specialist for engineering firm Coalescent Technology Corporation from 2007 to 2008.

 

Estrada earned a B.S. in Business from the online University of Phoenix in 2010.

 

In 2010, Estrada was appointed as a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission. He has also served on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, the national Board of Directors for Operation Homefront, and the executive committee for the United Services Organization. 

 

In 2008, after his retirement from the Marine Corps, Estrada publicly endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, eventually giving a televised speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, citing his “obligation... to protect the Marines, sailors and their families.”

-Matt Bewig

 

To Learn More:

Laventille-Born John Estrada Nominated US Ambassador to T&T (by Richard Charan, Trinidad Express)

Marine Corps Biography

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