Venezuela has officially declared Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as persona non grata, escalating tensions between the two nations over US military operations in the Caribbean Sea. The Venezuelan National Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday to impose the sanction, barring Persad-Bissessar from entering the country. This decision comes amid a heated dispute between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Persad-Bissessar, who has openly supported the US military’s anti-drug trafficking campaign in the region.
Persad-Bissessar, one of the few Caribbean leaders to endorse the US military presence, has praised the deployment of US naval forces and their operations targeting alleged drug traffickers. In a statement on September 2, she expressed her approval of the US mission, stating, ‘I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all, violently.’ This stance has drawn sharp criticism from Maduro’s government, which has condemned the US strikes as ‘illegal and completely immoral.’ Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto reiterated this position at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing the US of posing a military threat to Venezuela.
The US military campaign, which has included at least 13 strikes on 14 maritime vessels, has resulted in an estimated 57 deaths. However, no concrete evidence has been provided to link the victims to drug trafficking. Legal experts have raised concerns about potential violations of international law, comparing the strikes to extrajudicial killings.
The diplomatic rift deepened this week as Trinidad and Tobago considered a mass deportation of undocumented migrants, primarily Venezuelans, following Maduro’s decision to suspend a major gas deal with the island nation. Maduro accused Persad-Bissessar of turning Trinidad and Tobago into ‘an aircraft carrier of the American empire against Venezuela.’ The US has deployed seven warships, a submarine, drones, and fighter jets to the Caribbean, intensifying its operations near Venezuelan waters. Observers speculate that the Trump administration is using military pressure to destabilize Maduro’s government, which the US has labeled as illegitimate following his re-election last year.
Despite the controversy, Persad-Bissessar remains unwavering in her support for the US campaign, emphasizing her commitment to combating drug trafficking in the region.