India's Modi in Trinidad and Tobago as part of Caribbean push
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a two-day visit to Trinidad and Tobago, where more than a third of the population is of Indian descent.
The visit, Modi's first to the Caribbean nation since he took power in 2014, is part of a wider tour of Latin America that will also include stops in Argentina and Brazil.
Modi was greeted at the airport in the capital, Port of Spain, by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the country's second woman prime minister of Indian descent, and members of her cabinet.
During his time in Port of Spain, Modi will meet with Persad-Bissessar and President Christine Carla Kangaloo. He is also due to address a joint session of parliament.
He is expected to receive the Caribbean nation's highest honor, the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Relations between India and Trinidad and Tobago date back to 1845, when indentured Indian laborers first arrived to work on sugar and cocoa plantations under British colonial rule, following the end of slavery.
Between 1845 and 1917, more than 140,000 laborers settled in the Caribbean nation.
The Indian community is now the country's largest ethnic group, at 35.4 percent of the population of 1.4 million. Black Trinidadians are the second-largest group at 34.2 percent.
Devant Maharaj, a former government minister and leader of the nation's largest Hindu organization, called Modi a 'hero' and hailed the visit.
Modi is seeking to strengthen India–Caribbean ties, following a June visit to Guyana and a summit with Caribbean leaders.
He arrived in Trinidad and Tobago from Ghana, where he outlined plans for deeper ties between his country and Africa.
Following his swing through Latin America and the Caribbean, the Indian prime minister will visit Namibia before returning home.
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