[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17368-17369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 
                   42ND INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Republic of 
Trinidad and Tobago as it celebrates the 42nd anniversary of its 
Independence.
  Trinidad was settled in the late 1500s by the Spanish, who 
annihilated the indigenous Arawak and Carib Indian populations on the 
island. It remained under Spanish rule until the British, enticed by 
the sugar and cocoa plantations throughout the island, captured it in 
1797.
  Tobago had a more unsteady development, changing hands over 22 times 
as the French, Dutch, and British fought over to possess it. Tobago was 
finally ceded to Great Britain in 1814, and Trinidad and Tobago were 
incorporated into a single colony in 1888.
  Valued for its sugar during the 19th Century, Trinidad became a key 
oil interest for the British the 20th Century. Oil was discovered in 
three areas in Trinidad, and oil exports to Britain increased steadily 
throughout the century, buoyed by the advent of the automobile and the 
conversion of the British Navy from coal to oil.
  In 1941 Britain permitted the United States to establish military 
bases in Trinidad in exchange for 50 destroyers given to the British 
government. This began an important period in the country; the G.I.s 
brought American money and culture to the island, and the Trinidadian 
people were steadily pulled away from their traditional British 
loyalties. The Marines also helped construct numerous roads in 
Trinidad, including the important Northern Coast Road, which is still 
is functional today.
  A nascent movement for independence was born in Trinidad and Tobago 
in the 1950s, when Eric Williams, a Ph.D. from Howard University, 
returned to his native country and founded the People's National 
Movement (PNM). The PNM prevailed in the 1956 national elections, and 
Dr. Williams became the chief minister of the country from 1956 to 
1959, premier from 1959 to 1962, and prime minister from 1962 to 1981. 
It was Williams who led Trinidad and Tobago into full independence 
within the Commonwealth in 1962, and he is now considered the father of 
independent Trinidad and Tobago. Williams died while in office on March 
29, 1981.
  Trinidad and Tobago joined the United Nations and the Commonwealth 
immediately after its independence, and in 1967 it became the first 
Commonwealth country to join the Organization of American States (OAS).
  Trinidad and Tobago has enjoyed cordial relations with the United 
States since independence. U.S. investment in Trinidad and Tobago is 
nearly two billion dollars, and Trinidad is the leading exporter of 
liquefied natural gas to the U.S. Trinidad is also active in the U.S.-
initiated Summit of the Americas process and fully supports the 
establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.

[[Page 17369]]

  Further, many U.S. citizens and permanent residents call Trinidad and 
Tobago home, and keep strong cultural ties to their country of origin. 
Nearly 20,000 U.S. citizens visit Trinidad and Tobago for vacation or 
business every year, and over 2,700 American citizens are residents of 
the country. Americans celebrate the history and culture of Trinidad 
and Tobago with annual carnivals held in numerous cities across the 
U.S., with a major celebration occurring in Brooklyn every Labor Day.
  A leading member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market 
(CARICOM) and the most industrialized nation in the Caribbean, Trinidad 
and Tobago has become a symbol of what Caribbean countries can achieve 
if they have the opportunities and wherewithal to become economically 
successful and socially stable.
  As Trinidad and Tobago celebrates the 42nd anniversary of its 
independence, let us join in honoring the achievements of a country 
that overcame many obstacles to reach heights of prosperity and 
stability.

                          ____________________