Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela’s closest Caribbean neighbor, which occupies a critical geographic position in this conflict. In a surprising move, says the nation has officially declared neutrality.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued a statement clarifying her country’s position on the U.S. military action:
“Trinidad and Tobago is not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations. Trinidad and Tobago continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.”
Persad-Bissessar has previously been an open supporter of U.S. plans to address the regional drug trade and has even made public calls to kill drug dealers “violently.”
Her government’s decision to abstain from the military operation, despite this history, suggests a calculation that aligns with the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) long-standing call for the region to be maintained as a “Zone of Peace,” reflecting a deep division between regional anti-crime rhetoric and participation in a full-scale foreign intervention.