Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has raised serious concerns regarding the possibility of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro receiving an impartial trial in the United States. His remarks came during a January 5th press conference, merely two days after U.S. military forces conducted a controversial operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife. The intervention reportedly claimed the lives of at least 80 individuals, including members of the presidential security detail.
Gonsalves drew historical parallels to what he characterized as politically motivated prosecutions, cautioning that President Donald Trump’s administration is actively reviving the Monroe Doctrine’s principles to assert dominance throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Venezuelan leader faces multiple charges in U.S. courts, including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and illegal weapons possession.
Highlighting the paradoxical nature of the situation, Gonsalves referenced Trump’s own 2024 claims about being unable to obtain a fair trial in the U.S. regarding classified documents allegations. The former prime minister emphasized that military operations should not be conflated with legitimate law enforcement procedures, stating that the Venezuela intervention represents a systematic undermining of multilateralism in favor of unilateral action—a approach the Trump administration openly acknowledges.