Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has issued a strong call for Caribbean leaders to oppose U.S. military strikes and extrajudicial killings of alleged drug traffickers in the region, warning that the situation has become “extremely dangerous and untenable.”
Speaking at the 86th Conference of the Barbados Labour Party last week, Mottley cautioned that recent U.S. military actions in Caribbean waters threaten decades of diplomatic efforts to maintain the region as a “zone of peace.”
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“As a small state, we have invested tremendous time, energy, and effort in establishing and maintaining our region as a zone of peace,” she said. “Peace is critical to all that we do in this region, and now that peace is being threatened, we have to speak up.”
Mottley condemned what she described as extrajudicial actions by external powers and urged respect for the rule of law and for regional sovereignty.
“We do not accept that any entity has the right to engage in extrajudicial killings of persons they suspect of being involved in criminal activities,” she said. “Conflating law enforcement with military action is a dangerous step.”
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. In August, the United States deployed thousands of marines to the region, citing the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Since then, U.S. forces have conducted several strikes against alleged drug vessels near Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people, including two Trinidadian nationals.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the operations, calling the targets “narcoterrorists,” though evidence supporting those claims remains limited.
Regional reactions have been divided. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has expressed support for U.S. efforts, while other CARICOM leaders reaffirmed their commitment earlier this month to keeping the Caribbean a zone of peace—with Trinidad and Tobago the only country to reserve its position.
Referring to recent U.S. naval deployments, including the docking of the USS Gravely in Port-of-Spain, Mottley warned that such actions could escalate tensions and destabilize the region.
“We don’t need to look any further than the menacing military vessels from the United States across the Caribbean Sea,” she said.
The visit by the U.S. warship drew criticism from Venezuela, whose Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused Trinidad and the CIA of coordinating a “military provocation” aimed at inciting conflict — a claim Trinidad’s government has firmly denied, describing the port call as part of routine security and humanitarian cooperation.
Mottley reiterated Barbados’ foreign policy stance of being “friends of all and satellites of none,” urging dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further instability.
“Our duty is to prevent a war from starting, rather than stop it after it begins,” she concluded.
