A former senior CARICOM official sees the docking of one of the world’s largest warships, the USS Nimitz, in Jamaican waters on Monday as a tactic by the Donald Trump Administration to “intimidate” Cubans.

The Government on Monday welcomed the arrival of the aircraft carrier to Kingston, calling it a symbol of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Jamaica and the United States. The warship is expected to remain in the island until June 5.

But former assistant secretary general to CARICOM, Ambassador Byron Blake, scoffed at the idea of the warship in Jamaican waters carrying out “pedestrian” missions.