Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has sought to clarify Trinidad and Tobago’s position amid rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Venezuela, insisting that the country is not participating in any blockade ordered by US President Donald Trump against sanctioned oil tankers entering Venezuelan waters.
President Trump said on Tuesday that the United States has assembled a major naval presence in the Caribbean, warning that it “will only get bigger.” In a social media post, he declared that Venezuela is surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America and threatened severe consequences until what he described as stolen oil, land, and other assets are returned to the United States.
- Advertisement -
The escalation follows the recent seizure by US forces of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, a move that came after a significant buildup of American military assets in the region.
Speaking with reporters after attending the funeral of former colleague Daphne Phillips, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago has not been asked to assist in any blockade and is not involved in such actions.
“They have asked for no assistance about blockading Venezuela. No, they have not,” she said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that President Trump’s actions fall within the sovereign authority of the United States and do not implicate Trinidad and Tobago.
“These are matters within the sovereign powers of the United States. I am not part of that,” she stated.
When questioned about how Trinidad and Tobago would respond if US military strikes were to occur, Persad-Bissessar stressed that the Government’s priority remains national safety and security, while reaffirming that the country has no hostile intent toward Venezuela.
“Trinidad and Tobago first. That will always be our position. We have no intention of engaging in any war with Venezuela. I have always said we stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and we will continue to do so,” she said.
She noted that the country’s primary security concerns continue to be drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the illegal flow of firearms, which she described as the most serious threats facing Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region.
According to the Prime Minister, cooperation with the United States is focused strictly on safety and security. She said the partnership has already yielded results, pointing to a reported reduction of 240 murders linked to strengthened security measures.
“For me, it is about drugs, human trafficking, narco trafficking, and all those horrible things. We cannot be living here with over 600 murders and feel like everything is fine and that we are in a zone of peace. We are not. Trinidad and Tobago is not in a peaceful place, but it is getting better,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also rejected claims that Trinidad and Tobago is being used as a launching pad for US military operations.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan lawmakers have accused the United States of attempting to steal their country’s oil, land, and mineral resources. They unanimously approved a declaration rejecting what they described as President Trump’s “grotesque threats,” arguing that they violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty. The lawmakers said they would raise the issue before the United Nations and other international bodies, while urging Venezuelans to remain mobilized in defense of their country.
Calls for restraint have also come from regional leaders. The presidents of Mexico and Brazil have advocated for de-escalation, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urging the United Nations to intervene.
“The United Nations has not been present. It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed,” Sheinbaum said.
Political analyst Derek Ramsamooj cautioned that Trinidad and Tobago must proceed carefully as tensions escalate.
“It is not in our sovereign interest to take a side that may not be factually correct,” he said.
Ramsamooj also suggested that the recent expansion of a US travel ban to include citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica could represent political retaliation against countries perceived as aligned with Venezuela.
“There is a level of retribution and political positioning. Caricom countries with leaders aligned to Venezuela appear to be paying a price through President Trump’s political stance,” he said.
Former foreign and Caricom affairs minister Dr Amery Browne has sharply criticized Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s handling of the situation, warning that Trinidad and Tobago is being drawn into a dangerous geopolitical confrontation.
“With the recent oil seizures, the installation of aerial radars in Trinidad and Tobago, and blanket approval for military aircraft to move through our sovereign airspace, the façade of a war on drugs has faded,” Browne said. “The regime change campaign in which the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has immersed us is now starkly visible.”
He accused the Prime Minister of mismanaging the situation and argued that the country’s strength lies in diplomacy rather than military alignment.
“The sovereign strength of Trinidad and Tobago is found not in the deployment of killing machines but in our legacy of diplomacy and dialogue, in restraint and mediation, and in resolving disputes through peaceful and lawful means,” Browne said.
He warned that the country is now entering a period of heightened uncertainty and risk, which he attributed to what he described as a departure from Trinidad and Tobago’s long-standing foreign policy principles.
