The First Vice President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, called a statement by Trinidad and Tobago in support of the United States’ decision to deploy military resources in the Caribbean, near the South American country’s territorial waters, shameful.
In a press conference broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Televisión channel, Cabello indicated that his country is not attacking anyone and that, rather those attacked are Venezuelans.
‘What is clear is that Venezuela’s sun rises in the Essequibo; that is not up for discussion with anyone’, said the Minister of Interior and Justice regarding the territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana.
On Sunday, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago declared that it supports the United States’ decision to deploy military resources in the Caribbean, near Venezuela’s territorial waters, citing an “increase in violence due to the presence of terrorist drug cartels.”
Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad stressed that small island states like hers simply do not have the financial and military resources necessary to confront drug cartels and affirmed that if Venezuela launches any attack against the Guyanese people and the US government requests access to its territory, it will be provided “without hesitation.”
Separately, over the weekend, Venezuelan government supporters gathered across the country to enlist in the Bolivarian National Militia following a call from Maduro, in response to the US planned vessel patrols in the Caribbean Sea.
The Venezuelan president also ordered the deployment of 4.5 million militia members across the country, after the US increased the reward for information leading to their capture to $50 million.
