OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles criticised the absence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar from the UNC’s press conference on January 4 attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers and Housing Minister David Lee.
This follows the US military’s seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amid the positioning of its fleet in the southern Caribbean including a radar presence in TT, the latter fact incurring open threats to TT from top members of the Maduro regime.
“Where is the Prime Minister?” asked Beckles in an online statement hours later.
“The nation would reasonably have expected the Prime Minister to be present at today’s press conference.”
Beckles alleged the two ministers appeared unable to provide clear answers on matters of national importance.
“Trinidad and Tobago cannot be expected to accept a Prime Minister who seems unwilling to make herself available to the media and, more importantly, to the people she was elected to serve.
“What makes this situation even more unacceptable is the UNC’s poorly executed press conference, which appeared deliberately designed to distract the population with frivolous and cheap political rhetoric on issues relating to the HDC, rather than addressing the serious and pressing national concerns before us.”
Beckles said when reporters had asked about the PM’s whereabouts, Sobers fumbled through his response.
Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers speaks during a news conference held at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on January 4. – Photo by Innis Francis
“When questioned about why the press conference was held at the UNC headquarters, he claimed it was because the location was “centralised.” Later in the same briefing, he stated that the National Security Council was meeting, only to then assert that he himself was a member of that Council. At best, this was confusing. At worst, it was deeply misleading.”
She said Sobers said the PM need not address the nation because “no one in Trinidad feels unsafe” but that the public is still owed answers.
“Leadership demands transparency and accountability, not silence and deflection.”
Beckles said critical questions remain unanswered.
“What is the current status of our airports and the flights that were delayed or cancelled? Why were streets cordoned off in Port of Spain?”
She asked about the government stance towards Caricom and the recent developments and toward the Chief Secretary of the THA on matters of national security.
“When will she begin addressing issues relating to international law and the UN Charter?
“Most importantly, what should the wider society expect moving forward?”
Beckles said Sobers struggled through the briefing, allegedly lacking the necessary information and co-ordination with relevant line ministers.
She said the briefing ultimately collapsed when Lee abruptly ended it, allegedly refusing to entertain further questions from the media.
“So the question remains. Where is Kamla Persad-Bissessar?
“If leaders such as Mia Mottley, Irfaan Ali, and Donald Trump can address their nations on matters of public importance, why is the Prime Minister of TT hiding? Our nation deserves better.”
FORMER national security minister and police commissioner Gary Griffith has described the capture and extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US military forces around 2 am on January 3, as a case of a bully now being bullied.
The operation involved a coordinated aerial and land assault by US forces. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said over 120 aircraft (manned and unmanned) from 20 bases in the Caribbean led the aerial attack on Venezuela’s capital city Caracas, taking out key targets that could have disadvantaged the US ground team which extracted Maduro and his wife Cecelia Flores from a fortified compound in the middle of the city.
CBS News reported the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit Delta Force was involved in the mission. US President Donald Trump and Caine confirmed there were no US casualties or loss of US military assets during the operation.
In a WhatsApp comment on January 3, Griffith recalled threats by Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López and other Venezuelan government officials against Trinidad and Tobago, if the US was attacked. Prior to January 3, the Venezuelan government criticised TT for supporting all aspects of the US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean which began last August.
“They were threatening us about false claims that we were being used as a base to destabilize Venezuela and they will invade any country to extract those individuals.”
Out of the blue, Griffith continued, “they started to claim that TT was a territory of Venezuela, which is the narrative used as the excuse to attack another country.”
Venezuela and Guyana have a decades long dispute over the Essequibo border region between them. Venezuela has threatened to seize the region from Guyana.
Griffith said, “This arrogant and threatening approach was put on us by Venezuela and it took place for months whilst they could not say a word to the US.”
He added, “Well let us hear their warmongering defence minister and others talk now. I have no sympathy for anyone who was threatening my country. Good riddance. TT. The bully has been bullied.”
SOME Venezuelans in Trinidad and Tobago are celebrating the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States military in the early morning of January 3, while others want the return of their leader.
In a press conference later that day at his estate at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, US President Donald Trump confirmed a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela, adding that Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country to face criminal charges in the US.
Trump also said the US would temporarily run the country with “a group” and openly stated he wanted access to the country’s oil reserves, saying US oil companies will go in, spend billions of dollars to fix the oil infrastructure in Venezuela, and sell “large amounts of oil to other countries.”
Former Newsday photojournalist Grevic Alvarado said Maduro’s removal was just the first step towards freedom. He said many Venezuelans in TT were happy but worried about their family in Venezuela because they did not know what would happen next.
“Maduro and his wife are only two people of hundreds in an organisation. So we have to wait and see what will happen now with the other people in the government. But we can’t say anything more because we don’t have any information.
“We are hopeful, but at this moment we need to understand what is happening in Venezuela, because right now our country is in a dangerous situation. The most important thing is to remain calm and see what will happen.”
Alvarado said Venezuelans will have to wait for more information from the US and for the next steps from opposition leader María Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo González.
He believes a plan was already prepared to pass on the leadership of the country and that Venezuelans had the capabilities to participate in those plans.
“Today, more than ever, we need to have faith, hope and patience.”
In a release, Venezuelan human rights activist Yesenia Gonzalez agreed, saying it was a very happy and emotional day for many Venezuelans.
She said the people of Venezuela endured hardship for years, including economic collapse, food and medicine shortages, families torn apart and the silencing of ordinary voices. As a result, millions of Venezuelans were forced to leave their homeland in search of freedom, safety, work and dignity.
She stressed she was not celebrating conflict, division or suffering, but hope for Venezuelans who endured years of hardship and suffering and now see the possibility of a different future.
“Today is a happy day because it signals the chance for renewal, the chance for Venezuela to rebuild its institutions, restore opportunity and allow its citizens to live without fear. It brings hope that families who were separated can one day return home with dignity, and that children can grow up in a country where freedom and justice are protected.”
She thanked TT Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for supporting the US and the events of January 3 in Venezuela, saying Persad-Bissessar made tough decisions when human lives and their dignity were at stake. And Trump for his leadership and for standing with the Venezuelan people.
She said a free, stable and democratic Venezuela benefits Venezuelans as well as the wider region by reducing forced migration, encouraging cooperation, and fostering shared prosperity and peace.
“To Venezuelans everywhere, at home or abroad, this moment belongs to you. Celebrate with humility. Move forward with unity. Build with responsibility. Freedom is not only achieved. It must be protected through compassion, accountability, and collective effort.”
She told Newsday she supported Trump’s decision to “run the country until such time as we (the US) can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
She said Maduro did not step down as president after the 2024 election, although there was proof Edmundo González won the election. So with the humanitarian crisis in the country and the fanatic Maduro supporters there, she believed America would help settle the country and assist with the transition of power.
However, one Maduro supporter in Venezuela said the US’s move brought chaos to the country and could prompt a civil war.
In a WhatsApp telephone interview, professor and political analyst Jesús Enrique Rojas described the atmosphere in Venezuela as tense.
“It was a big surprise for all of us. The situation was normal until early this morning. Now, everywhere, in every city, town and village, the people have shown indignation for the things that took place this morning in Caracas, in Miranda, in La Guaira and in Maracay – four places which are very important to the economic development of the country.”
Although the exact figures were still being assessed, he said there were reports that both civilians and military personnel were killed in the various strikes.
He said, despite the international media reports, the Venezuelan people did not know if or exactly where Maduro and his wife were taken. There were peaceful protests in the streets calling for their return.
“Nobody here, nobody, not even Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, knows anything more than the rest of the people here. So, if he is alive, we want him back. And we need the support of the international community because the US is breaking international law.”
Rojas stressed that Venezuela is a sovereign nation, a democracy with a constitution, and disagreed with Trump’s plans to run the country or sell its national resources. They added that the constitution allowed for the vice president to be in charge of the country and, if Maduro was not returned, the Supreme Court would decide whether there would be another election.
He added that anyone who wanted a change in regime should put themselves up for election.
“We are not going to allow the US to do what they feel like doing here. We are not going to let somebody be posted here by them. No! We decide who is going to be our President because we have our own laws. We have our own entities here. We have our own constitution.
“Constitutionally speaking, the only person who can be President right now is Delcy because she is the vice president. And just imagine, suppose that María Machado or somebody else is put there as president, the situation is going to get worse internally speaking. This is going to be a civil war if they do that.”
Rojas called on all Venezuelans to “take action” to get Maduro returned so things could “go back to normal.”
At 2 am on Saturday morning, US bombs fell on Venezuela, the first signal that the violent escalation of action ordered by President Trump would become boots on the ground.
Bombs fell strategically on La Guaira port, Higuerote airport, La Cariota airport and the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, among others, but left the country’s oil infrastructure intact.
As explosions lit up the night sky, helicopters were seen flying over Caracas.
The strategic detonations were likely a distraction from the ultimate purpose of the months-long military operation against President Nicolas Maduro, regime change by force. The Venezuelan president was flown out of the country with his wife, Cilia Flores, and is being held on the USS Iwo Jima.
Mr Maduro was indicted in the US on corruption, drug trafficking and other charges in 2020. The State Department announced a US$50 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced after the military incursion that Mr Maduro would face “American justice on American soil in American courts.”
In the absence of the president, governance power passes to Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez.
The action was more surgical than the 1989 Operation Just Cause, which took days to capture General Manuel Noriega. Mr Noreiga ruled as military dictator for almost a decade, supported financially since the 1960’s by the CIA to ensure his alignment with US interests. He was arrested, tried and convicted on drug-related charges.
Following that bloody invasion, which left an estimated 516 Panamanians dead, the UN General Assembly, the Organization of American States and the European Parliament condemned the invasion as a violation of international law.
The US, understanding the value of Panama’s Canal, followed the “you broke it, you own it” rule and supported the restoration of democracy in the country, beginning with the appointment of its elected president, Guillermo Endara.
The damage wreaked on the capital by the invasion challenged recovery, but the US transfer of full control of the Panama Canal in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter treaty spurred significant development and expansion, improving Panama’s economy.
Mr Trump’s new National Security Strategy proposes a “Trump Corollary” to President James Monroe’s 1823 doctrine, which positioned the Americas as off-limits to European expansionism.
The new strategy lays the foundation for US imperialism as a motivating issue in its governance, with terms like “Peace through strength,” “American preeminence” and “Flexible realism” used to describe a programme of global dominance.
The US proposes, using this strategy, to prevent global imbalances in power by being the dominant power.
Mr Trump alluded to this dominance in his casual reference during a press conference yesterday to the US “running” Venezuela and his claim that Ms Rodriguez, sworn in as president, would work with the US on realising its goals. Those ambitions, the US president made clear during his press briefing, are motivated most reliably by Venezuela’s significant oil reserves.
US President Donald Trump says the US will run Venezuela and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations following a military strike on the capital city of Caracas, which led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
He made this disclosure at a news conference in Florida, hours after US forces executed a surgical strike in Caracas to extract Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a heavily fortified compound around 2 am.
No US troops were killed in the mission, Trump said. One helicopter was damaged by gunfire but managed to fly out safely.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago news conference.
Maduro and Flores were taken on board the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, part of the larger US military force that has assembled in the southern Caribbean since last August. They are to be flown to New York to face trial on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges.
Trump posted a photo on social media showing Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold on board the USS Iwo Jima.
Attorney General Pam Biondi also released the contents of a sealed indictment filed against Maduro, Flores and other people in relation to drug and other offences in the US District Court, Southern District of New York. The indictment painted the Maduro regime as a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fueled by a drug trafficking operation that flooded the US with cocaine.
Trump cast doubt on exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado either leading or being part of any interim Venezuelan government. Trump said it would be difficult for her to lead Venezuela because “she doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.
“We’re going to make sure that country is run properly. We’re designating people right now, and “we’re going to let you know who those people are.”
When asked who would run Venezuela, Trump referred to Rubio and other people standing behind him.
“It’s largely going to be for a period of time the people that are standing right behind me.”
Trump said the US was not afraid to put American troops on the ground in Venezuela to keep the peace and had the operation to extract Maduro been unsuccessful, the US was prepared to launch an even larger strike.
After repeating his claim that Venezuela stole oil and other energy assets from the US, Trump said American oil companies will be going into Venezuela to fix its “broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country.” He promised reimbursements for Venezuelans and other people who suffered economically under Maduro’s regime.
He did not explain what that meant or who could be part of any transitional regime in Venezuela. While indicating that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez had been sworn in as interim president after Maduro’s capture and had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said Rodriguez had agreed to cooperate.
Residents evacuate a building near the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTO
But he added it was unlikely Rodriguez or any member of Maduro’s regime would hold any position of power in Venezuela for long.
Rodriguez sworn in as Venezuelan leader
In a video circulated after her swearing in, Rodriguez said, “There is only one president in this country and his name is Nicolas Maduro Moro.” Shortly after the attack, Venezuela declared a national emergency and denounced the US’s “extremely serious military aggression.”
She did not declare herself acting president or mention a political transition. A ticker at the bottom of the screen identified her as the vice president. She gave no sign that she would be cooperating with the US.
“What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law,” she said. “History and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay.”
The Venezuelan constitution also says a new election must be called within a month in the event of the president’s absence. But experts have been debating whether the succession scenario would apply here, given the government’s lack of popular legitimacy and the extraordinary US military intervention.
Venezuelan military officials project defiance.
“They have attacked us but will not break us,” said Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino López, dressed in fatigues.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged Venezuelans to “trust in the political leadership and military” and “get out on the streets” to defend the country’s sovereignty.
“These rats attacked and they will regret what they did,” he said of the US.
Venezuelan state TV continued to air pro-Maduro propaganda, broadcasting live images of supporters taking to the streets in Caracas in protest.
Caine: Mission a success
US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Dan Caine, speaking at Mar-a-Lago, supported Trump’s position that US forces in the southern Caribbean remain on high alert to deal with any situation. He said the mission to extract Maduro took months of meticulous planning involving the US military and other entities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Caine visited TT last November and held talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. After those talks, Persad-Bissessar said the discussions with Caine did not involve Venezuela but US-TT security cooperation against narco-trafficking.
Following his visit, US Marines installed a military radar at the ANR Robinson International Airport. Persad-Bissessar has insisted the radar was to deal with narco-trafficking in TT maritime areas. Government has also allowed the US military access to the Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights for an indefinite period of time.
Among the units reportedly involved in the mission was the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force. Caine said the mission’s aerial and ground components were well-oiled and executed, resulting in no US military casualties or loss of US military assets.
Videos posted online showed military helicopters flying low over buildings in Caracas and multiple explosions in different parts of the city, as US aerial forces took out targets which Caine said would have prevented ground troops from achieving their objective.
People were seen running in the streets as explosions were heard in the distance.
Mixed world reaction
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “These developments constitute a dangerous precedent.” The spokesperson added Guterres is “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
Argentine president Javier Milei said, “Today’s news is excellent news for the free world.”
Mexico said the US action was a “clear violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, Colombian President Gustavo Pedro, the Chinese and Russian Foreign Ministers condemned the US attack and Maduro’s capture. Colombia has deployed additional troops to its border with Venezuela to prevent any Venezuelans from fleeing into its territory.
In Santiago, Chile, Venezuelans there celebrated the US action, waving Venezuelan and US flags.
The UN Security Council, acting on an emergency request from Colombia, planned to hold a meeting on US operations in Venezuela on January 5, according to a council diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a meeting not yet made public.
US President Donald Trump says the US will run Venezuela and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations following a military strike on the capital city of Caracas, which led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar is optimistic that a US-led governance structure in Venezuela will help to strengthen relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the South American nation.
She made the statement in a post on her Facebook page on January 3, minutes after US President Donald Trump addressed a news conference announcing that the country’s military forces had attacked Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city, and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Trump told reporters the US will run Venezuela in the wake of the military strike.
In a clear reference to Trump’s statement, Persad-Bissessar said, “Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to renewed co-operation and the strengthening of our longstanding friendship with the people of Venezuela in the coming years.
“May God guide and protect them as they transition away from years of oppression and dictatorship onto a new pathway towards democracy, justice and prosperity.”
Persad-Bissessar, in an earlier post, acknowledged the attack on Venezuela but said “Trinidad and Tobago was not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations.”
She added that TT continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.
Persad-Bissessar has supported all aspects of the ongoing US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean, the establishment of a US military radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago and the indefinite granting of US military transit flights into and out of the Piarco and ANR Robinson International airports.
US strike ‘deeply troubling’
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, meanwhile, described the attack as “deeply troubling.”
She believes it could potentially affect TT and the wider Caribbean.
“While some information remains unclear and unconfirmed, any such development in our immediate geographic space is a matter of serious concern for Trinidad and Tobago, Caricom and the wider Caribbean,” Beckles said in a statement.
She said under the PNM, TT consistently upheld the principles of respect for sovereignty, no interference and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“The PNM reaffirms our party’s firm commitment to our country and all countries maintaining the Caribbean as a zone of peace and we caution against actions that may further destabilise the region and endanger civilian lives.”
Beckles called on all parties involved to exercise restraint, respect international law and pursue dialogue and diplomatic solutions.
“The protection and preservation of human life must remain paramount.”
In her statement, Beckles also criticised Persad-Bissessar for not expressing concern about the well-being of Trinidad and Tobago staff based at the embassy in Caracas.
“We have taken note of the Prime Minister’s three-line statement this morning (January 3), which made no reference to the fact that Trinidad and Tobago has an embassy with staff in Caracas. We place on record our concern for the safety and welfare of the staff and all TT nationals in Venezuela.”
In a Facebook post, acting Foreign Affairs and Caricom Minister Barry Padarath said staff at TT’s Caracas embassy had been contacted and they were safe and continuing with their duties.
“We thank them for their service to our nation,” he said.
Caricom monitoring situation
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and other Caricom leaders met in an emergency session to discuss the US military strike in Venezuela.
She later told reporters that Barbados and Caricom, by extension, have not taken a decisive position on the issue.
Men watch smoke rising from a dock after explosions were heard at La Guaira port, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTO
“Venezuela is our friend. The United States is our friend. In fact, in both instances, we have family relations in both countries,” Mottley, a former Caricom chairman, said during a news conference.
“By the same token, the Caribbean Community has been the entity that we have both chosen as a matter of first principles to align our foreign policy with.
“When the heads of government met this morning (January 3), not all of the persons were there because it was an emergency, early meeting. We took a decision that we will wait for other information to become present, and when that happens, we will certainly act collectively and I do not want in any way to prejudice the integrity of that consultative process with Caricom.”
Caricom, in a statement, said members met on the military action in Venezuela and were monitoring the situation, which has possible implications for neighbouring countries.
Writing on the wall
Historian Dr Jerome Teelucksingh believes the US attack on Venezuela was inevitable.
“We saw similar situations where US invasions occurred in recent history in Iraq with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and (Muammar) Gaddafi in Libya,” he told Newsday.
“So it was very strange that some of the so-called international relations experts did not expect a showdown and did not expect an invasion. The writing was on the wall because of the military encirclement that was happening.”
Teelucksingh said Caricom must now seek to “check and strengthen itself.”
He said, “Caricom needs a stronger voice. Its voice seems to have been lost in this Venezuela/US showdown.
If Caricom is not strong, then probably we need another regional body, with Latin America and the Caribbean, to prevent any future occurrences of a military invasion.”
He recalled that Caricom countries did not intervene to restore order in Grenada after Maurice Bishop and members of his Cabinet were assassinated in 1983.
“Why did we depend on the United States when Grenada had a crisis? This dependency on the United States does not augur well. It does not show the Caribbean as being independent. It doesn’t show there is any Caribbean unity.”
Teelucksingh predicted the attack would lead to “waves of refugees” in this country.
“People who were supporters of Maduro will now become refugees. That is a strong possibility. We had the refugees of the anti-Maduro people and now we could have refugees of supporters of Maduro.”
This story has been updated to include additional details. See updated post here.
US President Donald Trump says the US will run Venezuela following a military strike on the capital city, Caracas, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Speaking at a news conference in Florida, hours after US air and ground forces executed a daring mission in Caracas to extract Maduro and his wife from a heavily fortified compound around 2 am. Among the units reportedly involved in the mission was the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force.
Maduro and Flores are now on board the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, part of the larger US military force that has assembled in the southern Caribbean since last August. They are to be taken to New York to face trial on drug related charges.
Asked about Venezuela’s immediate future after this operation, Trump said, “The US is going to run Venezuela until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”
He did not explain what that meant or who could be part of any transitional regime in Venezuela. He said Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez had been sworn in as president after Maduro’s capture, and she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump said it was unlikely Rodriguez or any member of Maduro’s regime would hold any position of power in Venezuela for long.
He cast doubt on whether exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado would lead or be part of any interim Venezuelan government. Trump said it would be difficult for her to lead Venezuela because “she doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.”
He added, “We’re going to make sure that country is run properly. We’re designating people right now and “we’re going to let you know who those people are”.
When asked who would run Venezuela, Trump referred to Rubio and other people standing behind him.
“It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me.”
Trump said the US was not afraid to put American troops on the ground in Venezuela to keep the peace and had the operation to extract Maduro been unsuccessful, the US was prepared to launch an even larger strike.
After repeating his claim that Venezuela stole oil and other energy assets from the US, Trump said American oil companies will be going into Venezuela to fix its “broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country.” He promised reimbursements for Venezuelans and other people who suffered economically under Maduro’s regime
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, supported Trump’s position that US forces in the southern Caribbean remain on high alert to deal with any situation. He said the mission to extract Maduro took months of meticulous planning involving the US military and other entities such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Caine visited Trinidad and Tobago last November and held talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. After those talks, Persad-Bissessar said the discussions with Caine did not involve Venezuela but US-TT security cooperation against narco-trafficking.
Last October and November, members of the 22nd US Marines Expeditionary Unit (MEU) held joint training exercises with the TT Defence Force. The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely, one of the first ships in the region as part of the ongoing military deployment, also visited TT last October.
US Marines also installed a military radar at the ANR Robinson International Airport last November. Persad-Bissessar has insisted the radar was to deal with narco-trafficking in TT maritime areas. The government has also allowed the US military access to the Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights for an indefinite period of time.
THE Ministry of Defence is advising the public that Trinidad and Tobago’s airspace remains open, even as commercial flights from the US were cancelled following a US military strike in Venezuela.
A release on January 3 said the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) instructed flights leaving the US that morning to return to the US.
A JetBlue flight bound for Trinidad received those instructions minutes after take-off from JFK International Airport.
The Airports Authority of TT indicated that, because of the FAA ban on US commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace, KLM, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue and Amerijet Cargo cancelled flights.
A statement for Caribbean Airlines said there have been no disruption of its flights and operations continue as scheduled.
US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife at a military base in Caracas and destroyed several targets in the early ours of January 3. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said this country was not involved in the military operation.
CIVIL Society groups will assemble outside the US Embassy in Port of Spain on January 4 to protest the US attack on Venezuela and the arrest of that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, by US forces.
In a statement issued by Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah, the group said, “We unreservedly condemn the actions by the US.”
They added, “The bombing of a country by another where there is no war is an illegal action and contravenes every aspect of international law and the UN Charter. This was a gross violation of the sovereignty of a nation.”
The groups said the attack and Maduro’s capture by US forces is “an act of imperialism – the use of military force to effect the agenda of maintaining hegemony – of power and control by the US over the region.”
They claimed, “What Trump has done is to say to the entire Latin America and the Caribbean that whatever he wants he will get by force if necessary.”
The group said, “It is not just the act of a bully, it is thuggery. It was an international crime.”
In a social media post, US President Donald Trump successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and the capture of its leader, President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, early on January 3.
Trump added that the operation was done in conjunction with law enforcement. CBS News reported the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force, was involved in the operation.
The group said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar must be held accountable for the role her government played with respect to events which preceded the attack and Maduro’s capture. These include Persad-Bissessar’s support of the US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean, which began last August, the establishment of a US military radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago, and giving the US military unlimited permission to use the Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights.
“We must be told whether these were used in the attacks against Venezuela. The government has become a lackey of US imperialism, and no amount of ole talk about our being a friend of the Venezuelan people or denials about being involved in today’s actions by the US can erase that fact.
“We, the people, must now demonstrate that we stand for Peace; that we will defend our sovereignty even if the government does not; and that we oppose the US military attacks on Venezuela.”
In a post on January 3, Persad-Bissessar repeated Trump’s statements about US military action inside Venezuela.
“Trinidad and Tobago is not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations.”
Persad-Bissessar, who has previously declined to acknowledge Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president, repeated her position, “TT continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.”
Caricom leaders, with the exception of TT, have petition for the Caribbean to maintain a zone of peace and opposed the US military action against narco-traffickers.
Persad-Bissessar recently questioned Caricom’s reliability as a partner to TT and said the US is the only nation in the world that can protect TT from any external security threat.
THE Police Service is assuring the public that it has taken precautions to ensure the nation’s safety after the US military strikes in Venezuela led to the capture of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early morning of January 3.
According to a press release, the police have been “closely monitoring recent regional developments” and implemented a series of precautionary operational measures. Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro emphasised that the police would be keeping watch on the situation and would update the public accordingly.
“It is the responsibility of the TTPS to anticipate risks, maintain public confidence and ensure that TT remains safe and secure during periods of uncertainty. In keeping with this mandate, strategic operations have been activated.”
The police stressed there was no need for panic or alarm as the actions were just precautionary, to ensure readiness, stability and continuity of service if the situation started to affect TT.
“Citizens are encouraged to remain calm, stay informed through official channels and report any suspicious activity to the police. Public vigilance, paired with responsible information sharing, remains an essential component of national resilience.”
In Port of Spain, the streets around the Police Administration Building at the corner of Sackville and Edward Streets have been cordoned off with metal barriers.
THE Venezuelan government has demanded that the US reveal the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, following their capture after a military attack in Caracas, Venezuela early on January 3.
Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said the government did not know where Maduro and his wife were, and demanded “immediate proof of life” for them both.
The country’s defence minister, Vladimir Padrino López, in a televised report claimed the strikes hit civilian areas and said the government was compiling information about dead and injured people.
He added that Venezuela would “resist” the presence of foreign troops.
Venezuela’s government later issued an official statement denouncing the “extremely serious military aggression” by the US “against Venezuelan territory and population in civilian and military locations.”
It also accused the US of threatening international peace and stability and described the attack as an attempt to seize “Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals” in an attempt to “forcibly break the political independence of the nation.”
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York City.
In a statement on X, Bondi said Maduro has been charged with “narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, among other charges.” She released an unsealed copy of the indictment.
Bondi referred to the couple as “alleged international narco traffickers,” adding they will face the “full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”Maduro and his wife were reportedly captured from a fortress-like house on a military base and taken to a US naval ship via a US military helicopter.
GUYANA President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has met with the leadership of his country’s national security apparatus on January 3, hours after the US attack on Venezuela, which led to the capture of that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by members of the US Army’s elite Delta Force.
A post on Ali’s Facebook page said: “President Dr Irfaan Ali met early this morning with the Defence Board, the National Security architecture, regional commanders, and other senior security officials, amid the ongoing situation in Venezuela.”
A subsequent post said, “Prime Minister, Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips, is currently in Region One engaging Guyana Defence Force troops and ranks of the Guyana Police Force operating in border communities, in light of recent developments in Venezuela.”
Guyana and Venezuela have had a longstanding border dispute over the Essequibo region for decades.
In a separate statement, Caricom said the conference of its heads of government met early on January 3, following reports of military action in Venezuela.
“Caricom is actively monitoring the situation, which is of grave concern to the region, with possible implications for neighbouring countries. Caricom will continue to update the people of the Region as more information is received.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly supported all aspects of the US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean, which preceded the attack on Venezuela and Maduro’s capture.
She has also differed with other Caricom leaders about the Caribbean being a zone of peace and described Caricom as unreliable because it supported Maduro’s government over Trinidad and Tobago.
In a post on January 3, Persad-Bissessar confirmed the US military actions inside Venezuela.
“TT is not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations. TT continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.”
Persad-Bissessar has said the US is the only nation in the world that can protect TT from any external threat.
OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles has criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for not expressing any concern about the well-being of Trinidad and Tobago staff based at the embassy in Caracas following a US military strike in the Venezuelan capital on January 3.
In a statement, Beckles said, “We have taken note of the Prime Minister’s three-line statement this morning, which made no reference to the fact that Trinidad and Tobago has an embassy with staff in Caracas. We place on record our concern for the safety and welfare of the staff and all TT nationals in Venezuela,” she said in a statement.
Beckles regarded the attack as “deeply troubling.”
She said, “While some information remains unclear and unconfirmed, any such development in our immediate geographic space is a matter of serious concern for Trinidad and Tobago, Caricom, and the wider Caribbean.”
Beckles said under the People’s National Movement, TT consistently upheld the principles of respect for sovereignty, no interference, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“The PNM reaffirms our party’s firm commitment to our country and all countries maintaining the Caribbean as a zone of peace, and we caution against actions that may further destabilise the region and endanger civilian lives.”
She called on all parties involved to exercise restraint, respect international law, and pursue dialogue and diplomatic solutions.
“The protection and preservation of human life must remain paramount.’
Around 1.50 am, US military forces reportedly attacked Venezuela on January 3, capturing that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The US Army’s Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the “large-scale strike,” CBS News reported.
The strikes come amid months of intense US military build-up in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.
In recent weeks, the US has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats, killing over 100 people, the administration claimed were trafficking drugs.
In a social media post, Persad-Bissessar acknowledged the attacks but said “Trinidad and Tobago is not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captured by US military forces on January 3, according to US President Donald Trump.
International media reports state that there were multiple explosions in the capital city of Caracas around 1.50 am.
CNN reported multiple casualties of government officials, military personnel and civilians.
Trump, in a social media post, said US forces carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader.”
The land attack came after months of missile strikes on suspected narco-traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific, which claimed the lives of over 100 people.
Trump said Maduro and his wife have been flown out of Venezuela.
Pedestrians run after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTOPedestrians walk past destroyed containers lay at La Guaira port after explosions were heard in Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTOResidents evacuate a building near the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTOSmoke raises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTOMen watch smoke rising from a dock after explosions were heard at La Guaira port, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTONational Guard armoured vehicles block an avenue leading to Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. – AP PHOTO
ONE prominent NGO working to help Venezuelan migrants has warmly welcomed news that all migrants in Trinidad and Tobago will be allowed to register for regularisation.
Newsday spoke to Andreina Briceño Ventura-Brown, head of the La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre, on December 30.
The Ministry of Homeland Security on December 29 promised to issue registrant cards for January 1-September 30, 2026 under the Immigration (Exemption from Work Permit) (Immigrants) Order 2025.
Ventura-Brown told Newsday, “This is important information regarding a new opportunity by the government of TT.
“We are really happy to know they are going to restart the migration registration programme.”
She said the registration applied to not only those individuals already regularised but to all. “They would be able to live and work legally in TT.”
Ventura-Brown said her NGO tries to guide the local Venezuelan community.
“All that has to do with migration may cause a little uncertainty and a little uneasiness in the community.”
She said hitherto there had been many unanswered questions, but this new announcement was seen by migrants as bringing clarity.
“Everybody feels this is a good step. They will also probably be able to recognise the children who are here and open doors for them to go to school.
“Those things are very in the people’s minds right now – trying to digest and feel a little more comfortable knowing the government thought about it and is willing to open.”
Ventura-Brown welcomed the fact the announcement helped not only Venezuelans but what she said were people of 14 different nationalities now in TT.
“It is nice to know they are also taken into consideration, and all those resources are there for other nationalities like Cubans, Dominican Republic and Jamaicans.”
She lauded the measure as helping with people’s safety and the security of the country.
“Who you have in your country, I think it was a very wise decision made at this point.”
The statement had said the registration would help with data collection and migrant control, even as the government promised to protect the population by recommending deportation for law-breakers or those deemed high-risk.
Ventura-Brown further welcomed the news by saying migrants will be able to be in TT with dignity, rather than having to constantly be in “survival mode.”
Andreina Briceño Ventura-Brown, head of the La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre. – File photo
She was not bothered by Newsday’s observation that the announcement had simply been published online, without the gravitas of having been presented at a “live” press conference by a government minister. She said Venezuelans, as both individuals and online groups, regularly followed the social media pages of the Ministry of Homeland Security. “For them, a ‘face’ was not necessary.
“For the community right now, just to see it in the official pages of the Ministry of Homeland Security is representing a change.”
However, she recounted a little unease in the migrant community.
“One person says something, the Prime Minister says something else, and you say something this week but next week something else comes up.”
She suggested that was happening in several policy areas in addition to the migrants. Referring to the government’s newness, she said, “I think it is a process of settling.”
Ventura-Brown said for migrants the fact of the online announcement did not diminish the significance of the news.
Newsday asked if she knew why the government had decided to regularise migrants, to help to judge how sincere and sustainable the idea was.
She said, “They are trying to settle the numbers and know what is the reality in the place.” She said the decision could have been made amid speculation and uncertainty.
“I believe they are probably understanding the importance of maintaining the country as stable in terms of dealing with the realities.”
Ventura-Brown also thought the move would bring more support from migrants.
“If someone actually realises immigration can more be viewed as an opportunity and not as a problem, this decision (regularisation) can be very legitimate.”
She also referenced the announcement’s mention of better national security, both for TT and in the region.
“I believe they need to know who they have in the country.”
Ventura-Brown said the move also recognised migration as an opportunity for an economic boost to TT.
“Instead of having someone burning your resources, you can have a whole contingency plan to actually support your (TT) economy and help. A lot of the companies employ Venezuelans and the productivity is…you can see it.”
She did know know who had made the decision.
“But we really believe this is a very wonderful way to try to get an order (to work).”
She said NGOs, consulates and organisations could play a role in the regularisation.
THE Central Bank says ongoing US-Venezuela tensions in the southern Caribbean are having the spillover effect of economic uncertainty in TT.
The bank made this comment in its final monetary policy report for 2025, released on December 31.
“Domestically, the fluid geopolitical tension between the US and neighbouring Venezuela is contributing to building economic uncertainty.”
The tension began in August with the deployment of the guided missile destroyers – USS Gravely, Sampson and Jason Dunham – to the southern Caribbean. The force has since expanded to include the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group, US amphibious assault vessels, the nuclear attack submarine USS Newport News and members of the US Marine Corps 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
The MEU’s last engagement in the Caribbean was in the US military invasion of Grenada in October 1983, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury. The MEU has been in TT twice this year for training exercises with local security forces.
TT has allowed the US military access to the Piarco International and ANR Robinson International Airports for transit flights for an indefinite time period. US Marines established a military radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport in November.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly supported all issues related to the deployment (including US military strikes on alleged drug vessels in the region).
Since September 2, at least 107 people have been killed in strikes on 31 alleged drug vessels.
This week, US President Donald Trump said an alleged onshore drug facility was destroyed by a drone strike and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved.
Persad-Bissessar has also publicly condemned local and regional critics of the deployment. She has said the US is the only nation in the world that can protect TT from any external threat.
The bank said under these conditions, “economic growth is somewhat tentative.”
The bank added, “Higher energy production in the second quarter of 2025, driven by two new natural gas fields, may be partially offset by a non-energy sector that is losing momentum across several sub-sectors.”
The bank said, ” This suggests that the domestic economy is still in need of support to engender a sustained recovery.”
The International Monetary Fund, in its October 2025 World Economic Outlook, projected world output to expand by 3.2 per cent in 2025, marginally down from 3.3 per cent in 2024.
Economic growth in the US has shown durability, despite challenges in the labour market and above-target inflation.
On the other hand, the bank said other major economies are experiencing softer economic growth combined with stubbornly elevated inflation.
International energy commodity prices are a barometer of overall economic conditions. Crude oil prices (West Texas Intermediate-WTI) slipped below US$60 per barrel (bbl), averaging US$59.57/bbl in November 2025, and remained below US$60/bbl during December 2025.
The 2025/20265 budget has been pegged against crude oil and natural gas prices of US$73.25 per barrel and US$4.25 per mmbtu, respectively. The crude oil price for the budget has traditionally been determined based on WTI price changes
On December, WTI and Brent crude oil were trading at US$57.91 and US$61.29 respectively. The gas price was US3.729 per mmbtu.
Last year’s budget was set on oil and gas prices of US$77.80 per barrel and US$3.59 per mmbtu respectively.
“HE WILL drive us into World War III,” Donald Trump claimed of Joe Biden in 2024.
“You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump told Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year, in March.
But today, on the last day of 2025, if the world stands on the brink of war, it’s all this US president’s doing.
On December 26, the Republican Party leader let slip that US forces had carried out a strike inside Venezuela, saying, “We hit them very hard.”
The offhand manner in which he made this announcement on Boxing Day during a little-heard radio interview betrayed the moment’s gravity.
By December 29, Trump was adding details: “We hit all the boats and now we hit the implementation area.” He was speaking again off-the-cuff as he hosted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
The apparent land strike follows the Trump administration’s recent crossing of a disturbing milestone at sea in its ongoing assault on the Maduro administration.
Days before Christmas, the US military’s campaign of summary executions reached a new high. At least 100 souls have now perished in those extrajudicial exercises.
But dead bodies continue to wash ashore, and the number continues to rise; a 30th strike earlier this week meant at least 107 may now be dead.
Alongside such travesties, an extraordinary display of military might has unfolded in the Caribbean Sea, oil tankers have been seized, a bounty on Mr Maduro’s head has been raised and an ultimatum has reportedly been issued to him by Mr Trump.
Unhinged and untethered to any semblance of reality has been Mr Trump’s justification for his actions, including his despatch of the CIA to TT’s closest neighbour in October.
He said of Venezuela then, “They have emptied their prisons into the USA. They have allowed thousands and thousands of prisoners, people from mental institutions and insane asylums, to be emptied out into the US.”
But this month, Mr Trump brazenly changed his tune, suggesting the issue was really about, “All the oil, land and other assets that they previously stole from us.”
Such machinations have triggered unprecedented statements of support for Venezuela’s sovereignty from Russia and China, with Vladimir Putin ringing Mr Maduro on December 11, and Xi Jinping’s regime implicitly accusing the US of “unilateral bullying.”
The extent of possible involvement of either of these two superpowers in any military conflagration would be unclear.
Yet, that alone speaks to the extraordinary recklessness of Mr Trump. If anyone’s gambling it’s him.
Months after fears emerged that two nationals may have perished in a strike at sea, there has been no real update from the TT government, which has, instead, cheered America’s leader as the world inches closer to Mr Trump’s manufactured Armageddon.
THE EDITOR: My concern with the US narco-terrorism charges against Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro is that they have never been substantiated. The evidence, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, is that 95 per cent of drugs reaching the US pass on the Pacific seaboard and originate in Colombia, Ecuador and Honduras.
And, strangely, earlier this month the US released convicted Honduran narco-trafficker and ex-president Juan Hernandez from a US jail. He had been convicted of trafficking 400 tons of cocaine into the US.
It is therefore worrisome to think the US might be using “drugs” as a cover for regime change to capture Venezuelan oil. And the US placing a military grade radar in Tobago and hijacking oil tankers leaving Venezuela suggest there is more to this than “narcotics.”
Pushing away Caricom and parroting the US line destroys TT’s relationship with everyone but the US. If the US does not succeed in regime change in Venezuela, where does that leave our country with all our neighbours but isolated?
As for ordinary Trinidadians/Tobagonians, I fear that sometimes we are “colour blinded” by “red” and “yellow” and we do not see the “red, white and black” anymore, especially in these dangerous times.
While I don’t think we are in any direct danger from the US because they largely control our oil and gas, I would hate very much for our people to be in harm’s ways if Venezuela fights back. What if the US sinks a Venezuelan military boat escorting one of their tankers, and the Venezuelans react by shooting at US boats, and also see the Tobago radar as a legitimate target? What if the purpose of the Tobago radar is for the US to track and intercept any firepower coming from Venezuela?
It is all very troubling! I really wish we had just said “no” and remained neutral.
I understand that our PM must be under considerable pressure from the US, as well as from some of those new individuals who recently joined the UNC, and who had been calling for regime change in Venezuela as far back as 2019, when US mercenaries made a failed attempt.
FORMER UNC MP Rodney Charles has cautioned the government on its support for the ongoing US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean and all matters relating to it.
Charles, who served as Trinidad and Tobago’s UN ambassador during Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s first administration (May 2010-September 2015, sounded his warning in a Facebook post on December 20.
He was also the UNC’s shadow foreign and Caricom affairs minister from September 2015 to April 2025 while the party was in opposition. Charles, who publicly disagreed with Persad-Bissessar’s leadership, chose to retire from electoral politics before the April 28 general election, which the UNC won.
Charles said his comments cannot be interpreted by anyone as him being a critic of the US action in the region.
“I am not anti-US. As a post-grad student at Carleton University more than half a century ago, I was briefly a White House press intern and also did a stint at the State Department.”
Charles said he also has relatives who served and are still serving in the US military.
“I still believe in the spirit and intent of the US Constitution. It’s just that I love Trinidad and Tobago more.”
Referring to Persad-Bissessar’s ongoing support for all aspects of the deployment, which began in August, Charles said, “I think that we are going down a very, very dangerous path. We do not have a well-thought-out and/or nuanced foreign policy that serves our interests. ”
He warned, “The US is not Trump.” Charles referred to reports in the US which suggest the Democrats could be poised to record significant victories against the Republicans in the US mid-term elections next November.
“We might very well find post-midterms US elections in November 2026 that we positioned ourselves on the wrong side of even their foreign policy realities. ”
Charles referred to Persad-Bissessar’s public disagreements with other Caricom leaders about the Caribbean being a zone of peace and condemnation of all local and regional criticisms of the US deployment.
Persad-Bissessar has also said the government has not taken any decision to withdraw from Caricom.
Charles said, “Our Caricom brothers and sisters will be looking at us askance as we began the process of undermining that regional body.”
He claimed, “This has led unwittingly to the likely recolonisation of the region as our colonial masters flex their economic muscles, seeing us as weak and divided.”
Charles said people need to pay close attention to other moving pieces on the geopolitical chessboard.
“Note the growing isolation of Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica, and negative advisories against international darling Barbados and soon Grenada and St Lucia at the beginning of the winter tourist trade. This will break their tourism economies.”
Charles noted US President Donald Trump’s revival of the Monroe Doctrine through the US National Security Strategy 2025 document, the intent outlined in the document to enlist allies worldwide to help execute US policy and Trump’s recent shifting of the narrative in the Caribbean to demand Venezuela’s return of oil it allegedly took from the US.
He cautioned these moves have resulted in a latent but growing “anti-gringo” sentiment in several Latin American nations such as Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
“Our foreign policy is inimical to our medium and long-term interests on so many fronts that it ceases to be funny.”
Charles said the government appears to have predicated TT’s foreign policy precariously on three conditions.
“That Trumpism reigns forever in the US. That there is regime change in Venezuela, and even then, that (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro’s successors forever lose the nationalistic spirit of Simon Bolivar.”
THE Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah has expressed concern that peace, the core message of Christmas, is being lost within the looming shadow of war in the Caribbean and in other parts of the world.
He expressed this concern in the party’s Christmas message to the nation.
Abdulah said, “Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, who is also known as the Prince of Peace.”
He wondered what “the Prince of Peace would say about today’s world.”
Abdulah referred to biblical scriptures where Christ “went into the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and others.”
He said, “For Him, profiteering off religious observances was a sin.”
Abdulah added, “Yet today Christmas – and many other religious observances – has become totally commercialised as a rapacious capitalist system sees the opportunity to make significant profits at this time almost to the point where the religious significance of Christmas is lost.”
He said Christ also was not an advocate for war, and nothing in the Bible can be used by anyone to create this impression.
Today, Abdulah continued, “There are wars and rumours of (and plans for) wars in virtually every part of the world.”
He compared ongoing Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip and West Bank to the efforts of King Herod to “kill all boy children following the birth of Jesus in order to prevent the Prince of Peace challenging his (Herod’s) power.
Abdulah referred to conflicts in other parts of the world, such as Russia-Ukraine (where the war is about power and control in Europe), to Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict masks covert efforts by bigger players to acquire mineral wealth.
He observed that the situation is no different in the Caribbean with respect to the US military deployment outside of Venezuela’s territorial waters, which began in August.
“Closer to home, we have a war in the making on our doorstep as the US uses its military might in an old-style gunboat diplomacy to force regime change in Venezuela.”
Abdulah said US President Donald Trump confirmed the action goes beyond the initial statements he made about combating drug cartels and hints of regime change to Venezuela, allegedly seizing oil and other assets from the US. Trump recently said the US wanted these things back.
“Today we have another imperial empire – or an empire that is in decline but fighting to maintain its hegemony in a world where there are now many poles of power.”
Abdulah said the US agenda is clearly spelt out in its National Security Strategy 2025 as “restore American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere… and (the US) will reward and encourage the region’s governments, political parties and movements broadly aligned with our principles and strategy”.
He added Christ would never have supported any of these actions.
Abdulah urged citizens to use Christmas as a time to reject countries advancing such imperialist agendas and denounce those governments and parties that sell out their sovereignty in order to align with the imperial agenda.”
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly supported the US military deployment in the region, which started in August. The Trump administration’s position on the deployment is an anti-narcotics exercise and US military strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean, which other nations have described as extrajudicial killings.
Persad-Bissessar has defended the establishment of a US military radar in Tobago and defended US actions in the region against local and Caricom critics. She has publicly differed with other Caricom leaders about the organisation’s longstanding position that the Caribbean must be maintained as a zone of peace.
In her Christmas message, Persad-Bissessar made references to biblical quotations which focus on oppression and freedom.
First, Luke 4:18, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the captives and to set the oppressed free,” Persad-Bissessar said, “As we are reminded, Jesus came into the world as ‘the true light, which gives light to everyone’ (John 1:9). From the very beginning, that light confronted oppression
She added, “Christ’s earliest days were marked by flight from a tyrant ruler, King Herod, as His family escaped violence used to preserve power (Matthew 2:13-15).”
While TT cherishes democracy and freedom, she continued, other nations in the region are not so fortunate.
“At the same time, we remain mindful that many in our region do not share these freedoms. In neighbouring countries, populations are forced to live under repression, violence, and economic hardship.”
Persad-Bissessar identified no country by name.
She said, “Tyranny and oppression have torn families apart, forcing many into refugee lives, driven from their homelands by fear and deprivation
In a post on X this week, Persad-Bissessar said, Caricom has aligned itself with the (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro narco government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned or killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him.”
She added, “TT wants no part of that alignment, we don’t support dictatorship and drug trafficking, and we don’t support Caricom in their zone of peace fakery.”
Persad-Bissessar claimed Caricom has “chosen to support the Maduro narco government through the fake zone of peace narrative, which is clearly designed to get the American military to leave the Caribbean region and therefore enable Maduro to remain as dictator in Venezuela.”
