The embassy didn’t specify why it issued the warning, saying only that, “due to a heightened state of alert, please avoid and refrain from visiting all U.S. government facilities through the holiday weekend,” as it urged people to “be aware of your surroundings.” Monday is a holiday to celebrate Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights widely celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago, where 35% of its 1.4 million people identify as East Indian.
The alert is based on threats directed at American citizens in the Caribbean nation, with U.S. authorities saying “it could be linked” to ongoing tensions in the region, Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of homeland security, Roger Alexander, told The Associated Press. However, local authorities declined to share specific details about the reported threats.
Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have responded to the threats by implementing security measures to deal with any situations that may arise, Alexander said.
With six strikes killing at least 29 people since early September, the tense situation in the region was mentioned by U.S. officials in a briefing with authorities in Trinidad and Tobago, Alexander said.
