On October 31, Persad-Bissessar said she was unaware of reports that TT Defence Force (TTDF) personnel had been ordered to immediately return to base. She added she would find out and repeated her statement for people to remain calm in the face of reports which claimed US military strikes against targets in Venezuela were imminent.
Panday said, „The concern is that the head of the NSC should at least be aware of why the Defence Force was placed on high alert.“
She added if Persad-Bissessar genuinely did not know, „that raises serious questions about communication and coordination at the highest level of government, especially in a time of regional tension.“