Venezuela Accuses T&T of U.S.-Backed Military Provocation

Tensions are rising in the Caribbean as Venezuela is accusing Trinidad and Tobago of staging a U.S.-backed military provocation, while the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government strongly denies any hostile intent.

On Sunday, the USS Gravely, a U.S. Navy destroyer, docked in Port of Spain for joint training exercises with Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force. The warship is expected to remain until Thursday, October 30, as part of Washington’s regional campaign against drug trafficking and organised crime.

Venezuela condemned the exercises as a “hostile provocation”, accusing Trinidad and Tobago of coordinating with the CIA to provoke a war in the Caribbean. Officials in Caracas claim to have captured mercenaries, with intelligence suggesting a false-flag operation is underway to justify military action against Venezuela.

In response, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs rejected the allegations, stating that the USS Gravely’s visit is intended to strengthen efforts against transnational crime and support humanitarian partnerships. The government emphasised its commitment to regional peace and its relationship with the Venezuelan people.

The standoff escalated Friday when the Pentagon deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the region. The U.S. has also authorised CIA operations against Venezuela and sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being “narcoterrorists”, though no evidence has been publicly presented.

U.S. forces have reportedly destroyed at least 10 suspected drug boats, resulting in 43 deaths. Two Trinidadian men were killed in a strike on a vessel that departed Venezuela in mid-October. Families of the victims insist they were not involved in drug trafficking.

Venezuela maintains that the U.S. justification of an “armed conflict” with narco-terrorists is a cover for regime change, accusing Washington of seeking to remove President Nicolás Maduro and install a U.S.-backed leader.