Trinidad and Tobago welcome US Navy

26 October 2025

A US Navy ship docked in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, as President Donald Trump increases military pressure on Venezuela.The guided missile destroyer, USS Gravely, is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford moving closer to Venezuela.

President Trump accused President Nicolas Maduro of being the leader of an organised crime gang but offered no evidence. Government officials in Trinidad and Tobago and from the US said the warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday for training exercises.

President Maduro called the deployment of warships an attempt by the US government to “invent a new eternal war” against his country. Venezuela’s government issued a statement condemning what it called a military provocation by Trinidad and Tobago and the US.

Venezuela claimed it captured a group of mercenaries “with direct information of the American intelligence agency” who intended to launch a false flag attack in the region. The statement from vice president Delcy Rodriguez did not give details or evidence of the alleged false flag attack.

Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, the US Embassy’s charge d’affaires, said the exercises sought to “address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions and security efforts”.

A senior military official, speaking anonymously, said the move was only recently scheduled.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is a supporter of the deadly US strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela. On Friday, the US secretary of war claimed six “narco-terrorists” had been killed in a strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea.

US Fleet returns to the West Indies

26 October

While the moderate majority embrace return of the iconic US Navy, docking of USS Gravely at the Port of Port of Spain on October 26 increases the potential for involvement of Trinidad and Tobago in the conflict between the US and Venezuela as US Marines come ashore.

The guided-missile destroyer is officially visiting for 4 days with the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit to conduct joint training with the TT Defence Force which will benefit from troops known as the US military’s “tip of the spear.” US Marines will gain ground training on subcontinental territory that is geographically similar to Venezuelan terrain. In September, the Unit engaged in training exercises in Puerto Rico, experiencing tropical conditions in West Indian terrain.

The government dismissed opposition concerns as “fearmongering” and described the mission as one of goodwill, helping schools and the military. 10 former Caricom leaders, including Dr Keith Rowley, issued statements urging a pullback from military buildup.

Dismissing legitimate concerns about clear military action on TT’s doorstep in an environment in which 10 vessels were summarily destroyed and dozens of people killed, two believed to be nationals, on the presumption that they were trafficking drugs is being excessively hopeful.

To date, the US offered no evidence to legitimise the attacks. The US military buildup is real and troubling, underlined by the most recent escalation, the decision to deploy the largest US marine asset, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region.

A warship is not the same as an ocean-going medical ship or a floating library. The US government proclaimed its mission is to act against drug traffickers and declared the government of Venezuela guilty of drug trafficking. A minority regards deployment of a warship with 5,000 sailors and at least 75 war-tasked aircraft as dramatic overkill to meet the challenge of the occasional speeding “drug” boat.

How long will it take this unilateral policing action to move from international waters to sovereign soil? President Donald Trump must be aware that his perceived enemy is also making plans. On October 23, President Nicolas Maduro announced that his government strategically deployed 5,000 Russian Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles and mobilised “millions” of volunteer reservists to respond to ground-based attacks.

Russia and PRC have significant investments and trade agreements with Venezuela and view the OPEC founder as a geopolitical asset. T&T is a minor player in this military chess game, in which the US seems set to keep raising the stakes, hoping that Maduro will step down and allow regime change. T&T may lack the chips to play at this table but nevertheless can contribute to sustainable peace.

[  COMMENT: T&T can offer a perfect resource to the US-led alliance to challenge Drugs, Arms and Migrants (DAM), using the parliamentary majority to embrace true Liberty, Democracy and Freedom.

After Venezuela acquired 5,000 Russian Igla-S missiles, USA can request T&T to invoke the Status of Forces Agreement to sell forested Chacachacare Island, a natural impregnable Fortress 7 miles from Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. This secluded spiritual space, uninhabited except by dolphins, turtles, iguanas, and doves, humming birds, pelicans and hawks among mango, guava and cashew trees.

US forces can install water, energy and other supplies as in 1942, when 1000 U.S. Marines were stationed on Chacachacare to guard Bocas passages from attack in the approaches to Port-of-Spain harbour. The Marine contingent constructed military barracks in Marine Bay, Perruquier Bay, Rust’s Bay and on the mountain.

T&T can then become Unincorporated Territory of USA with citizenship, safe from DAM and the harsh reality of Caricom bureaucracy, charade and talking shop wasting public funds and alms.

USA has ample oil and gas. Hegemon PRC needs OPEC oil and sanctioned Russian and Iranian gas.

Tax-guzzling, supranational aid-addict CARICOM is a lost cause, a masquerade with no authority or mandate to decide the future of beleaguered T&T or Guyana or ability to fortify the Subcontinent linking the Americas.

In 1983, USA restored democracy in Grenada supported by troops from the Regional Security System, created in 1982 to counter threats from blackpower ideology in 1970- 1980, including Jamaica, Antigua- Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent – Grenadines, Barbados, Saint Kitts – Nevis.

T&T leaders must persevere with faith in the majority supporting actions at UNGA and long-standing reliable allies.

Welcome Uncle Sam back to the Gulf of Paria, its former base that brought security and prosperity to the Occidental Archipelago. Grab the bull by the horns to shake off the shackles of bureaucratic bondage of appeasers for DAM.

The majority wholeheartedly welcomed the visit of USS Gravely, to combat drug cartels and stem the flow of dangerous drugs from South America, after all actions failed. Caricom airports reject TTD and demand USD for purchases by travellers. NEC seeks payment in USD from shipping companies and growing demand for FOREX (USD) confirms the key role for USA as a cornerstone of the battered economy. .

With a parliamentary majority, the government must propose the sale of Chacachacare to the US for a Naval Base and Radar Station to defend the region from an existential threat of Drugs, Arms and Migration (DAM).

In 2022 Operation Trigger of INTERPOL and CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) led to seizure of 350 weapons, 3300 rounds of ammunition and record drug hauls of 10.1 tonnes of cocaine and 2.5 tonnes of cannabis, highlighting convergence of trafficking routes and use of firearms to control illegal drug trade across the Caribbean Sea. Daily reports confirm the spread of this menace.
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2022/Hundreds-of-firearms-and-12.6-tonnes-of-drugs-seized-in-Caribbean-operation

These actions support T&T Prime Minister Kamla Bissessar who dismissed the notion of the phantom “zone of peace” at UNGA.. . A 200-year internecine conflict in Haiti highlights a Deadly Zone of War where Caricom troops joined US-led peacekeeping since 1994.

Blackpower riots, revolts and rebellions since 1970 hindered progress in the subcontinent of the Antillean archipelago and adjacent mainland of the Americas. Caricom lacks capacity, resources and cooperation to challenge traffickers endangering life.

Sanctimonious opponents to US action should cease and desist criticism of the solution to guarantee security.Many professionals visited former European colonies of the West Indies in a relative ZONE OF PEACE from 1962.

Researchers and conference delegates attended events on the mainland and the archipelago but escalation of geopolitical deterioration and insecurity meant the region is no longer peaceful or secure due to D.A.M and self-inflicted criminality driving the tragedy of Haiti. Repatriation to nations of origin for the majority is the only hope for survival of the cosmopolitan community. Afreximbank Bank can fund this in collaboration with AU airlines and help to resettle families among relatives around the Gulf of Guinea, abounding in resources, familiar climate and free from hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes.  ]

 

 

 

USS Gerald R Ford deployed to Caribbean Sea

2025, 10/25

The USS Gerald R Ford, a first-in-class aircraft carrier, joins the United States deployment in the Caribbean Sea. As Trinidad and Tobago prepares to receive the USS Gravely, the US military is sending the largest warship ever constructed to the West Indies, marking the latest escalation in the buildup of military forces. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group to deploy to US Southern Command “to bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States.”

Commissioned in 2017, the USS Gerald R Ford can carry over 75 aircraft and is designed to operate with a total complement of 4,539 personnel. Deploying an aircraft carrier represents a major escalation of military power in a region in the Caribbean Sea off Venezuela with an unusually large US military presence. News of the deployment came hours after the US military conducted its 10th strike on a suspected drug vessel. which resulted in six deaths in the Caribbean Sea. Hegseth blamed the Tren de Aragua gang for operating the boat,

The pace of strikes has increased from roughly one every few weeks when operations first began to three this week , killing at least 43 people since September. Two recent strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanded the area of operations, targeting regions where much of the cocaine from the largest producers is smuggled.
Amid public concern over the USS Gravely arriving during heightened US-Venezuela tensions, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar attributed any panic or unease to the Opposition PNM, which she said seeks to overtly undermine efforts to stop drug, arms, and human trafficking. Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the visit forms part of ongoing security cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, questioning why the Opposition would attempt to sow fear and confusion to undermine those efforts.

“It is most concerning that the PNM, a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia, is overtly attempting to undermine efforts to stop drug, arms, and human trafficking into our country. Clearly, the PNMs’ daily disinformation campaign is aimed at derailing the drug and arms interdiction efforts so as to protect their drug mafia financiers.”

The Prime Minister welcomed the US Navy and Marine Corps for a “joint military training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs stated that the USS Gravely (DDG-107) will visit Trinidad and Tobago from October 26 to 30, mooring in Port-of-Spain, while the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit will conduct joint training exercises with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) during the same period.”

Persad-Bissessar also highlighted longstanding border security challenges, noting, “For far too long, this country’s borders have been poorly secured and have facilitated the trafficking of humans, drugs, and firearms. Tens of thousands of illegal migrants have entered our country, and over 10,000 citizens have been brutally murdered in the last two decades. Unfortunately, the Opposition PNM and their agents are persistent in creating unnecessary hysteria and conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to create instability and chaos.”

The United States Embassy in T&T said the US military’s presence is part of longstanding cooperation between both nations. US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Dr Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said, “The partnership between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago exemplifies regional strength through collaboration. Together, we address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.

This makes sense to T&T because well-armed drug addicts “present unique dangers to society, pose a grave risk of armed, hostile encounters with police officers .”

 

 

 

US saviours trump sanctimonious signatories

2025, 10/25

The pending arrival of the USS Gravely (DDG-107) in Port-of-Spain tomorrow has drawn attention and anxiety. This comes at a time of rising geopolitical tension between the United States and Venezuela.

The US Navy destroyer—a vessel armed for air, surface, and submarine warfare and crewed by 300 sailors—will reportedly visit for cooperation, training, and mutual trust. The Foreign Ministry said the visit aims to strengthen US–T&T military cooperation.

Activities include expert exchanges in infantry tactics, maintenance, and medical capabilities. They will use T&T Defence Force (TTDF) facilities to enhance proficiency.

On the surface, this appears to be a standard exercise in partnership but given the warship’s formidable armament, including missile-launching systems and a five-inch cannon, it inevitably carries symbolic weight: a projection of American military presence in a region already on edge.

That symbolism is not lost on regional observers or on former leaders who remember the commitment to peace and neutrality. Adding a significant twist , former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley signed a joint declaration by 10 former heads of government, including PJ Patterson, K. Anthony, D. Barrow and B. Golding,

“Our Caribbean Space: A Zone of Peace on Land, Sea & Airspace where the Rule of Law Prevails, urgng governments to resist being drawn into external conflicts and to uphold international law. He found it “necessary and dutiful” to endorse the declaration, which expresses concern over “increased military buildup and the presence of nuclear vessels and aircraft .”

Rowley reflected on T&T’s historic leadership in promoting regional unity and sovereignty.

“It was Trinidad and Tobago’s voice, supported by all my colleagues, when we affirmed that ‘together we are stronger. We may be small, but not insignificant and our voice and our interests should be respected.” It was “embarrassing” that the country has now “recklessly subscribed to actions that abandon those principles.

It is a dangerous dereliction of duty, under any circumstances, to embrace the discarded ‘might is right’ and the rule of law—local or international—is an inconvenience and a humbug.”

His remark and the wider declaration resonate among armchair critics who repeat the message : the Caribbean must safeguard its identity as a region of peace and stability, not a staging ground for global rivalries.

T&T, respected for its diplomacy, now faces a crucial test. Engagement with the US is necessary and beneficial in training, disaster response and intelligence sharing but cooperation must be transparent and grounded in the national interest—not a tacit endorsement of a military buildup near our shores.

The government must communicate that welcoming a US warship does not signal abandonment of the region’s founding principle: that peace is best preserved by neutrality, dialogue and respect for sovereignty.

The USS Gravely’s presence should serve as a reminder that strength lies not in military might, but in steadfast commitment to peace, law and independence. As the former leaders have rightly declared, Caribbean space must remain a zone of peace—on land, sea, and air.

Unfortunately, the voice of these retired leaders was silent during the daily agony of T&T from a litany of lawlessness, as public figures, business leaders, diligent workers, young professionals and elderly residents were robbed, raped, shot, injured, abducted, extorted, bound, beaten with rods and butchered without mercy by government supporters.

 

 

 

KEEP CALM

October 23, 2025

PM again assures the public there’s no need to panic over rising US-Venezuela tensions and fears of T&T backlash.

With growing conflict between the United States and Venezuela and its possible impact on Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is again pleading with citizens to remain calm. As tensions continued to mount between the US and Venezuela, reports of more military airstrikes against drug vessels, CIA operations, and missile deployments continued to dominate headlines.

At the Government’s National Recruitment Drive in Couva, she urged the public to stay calm. “I think there are some people who are just fear- mongering. I assure you to be calm. If and when we know more, we will let you know. You will be informed about what is happening. I have no information of war, of missiles landing in Venezuela. Again, we are speculating, and some are determined to spread fear and hysteria. Please be calm. My name is Kamla, be calm.”

T&T finds itself caught in the diplomatic crossfire as US-Venezuela tensions heighten. President Nicolás Maduro’s claim that Venezuela acquired 5,000 Russian Igla-S missiles sparked regional concern, especially after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused Persad-Bissessar of “leading T&T off a cliff” over the Dragon gas deal.

During a televised military event, Maduro confirmed the deployment of short-range, man-portable surface-to-air systems stationed in “key air defence locations” across Venezuela, designed to target drones, helicopters, cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft, as a direct response to increased US military activity in the region.

Responding to the reports of the missile stockpile, Persad-Bissessar accused some individuals of fuelling unnecessary panic. Addressing Rodríguez’s criticism, Persad-Bissessar said she would not engage in political back-and-forth.

“I have no comment. I have no official communication from Madame Delcy or from the Venezuelan government and I will not comment on something that I have no official communication about. It is hearsay. I will not engage in tit for tat. I am doing the best I can. I was elected by the electorate. We are all doing the best we can to uplift Trinidad and Tobago, and I will continue to do so.”

Criticising T&T’s reliance on US involvement in the Dragon gas deal, Rodríguez told the Venezuela Productiva 2030 economic forum:

“Every molecule exported, be it to TT or other neighbours as planned, must be paid for… Anything else is fantasy. They are deceiving her, and she is deceiving you.”

As a guest on the podcast hosted by a St Vincent journalist, Venezuelan diplomat Carlos Ron joined the list of officials criticising T&T for snubbing Caricom neighbours in denouncing the U S military presence.

“We hope for a stronger position to denounce any military action. I have seen some important positions. Antigua and Barbuda did not accept the military intervention. Then you can contrast that with T&T.

In the case of T&T, it is unfortunate that they keep on using the excuse and pretext of drug trafficking as if this is really what’s going on and I don’t deny that drug trafficking is an issue, but it is not the main thing that takes place.

Unfortunately, Trinidad right now just realised this as two of their fishermen were lost as part of that operation. The human cost of this.”

From 2018 to earlier this year, Ron also served as the deputy minister for North American Affairs at Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said even if there is a military invasion, as is being touted, it will not automatically solve Venezuela’s problems.

“If there are US sanctions, of course, there will be economic problems. The issues that we Venezuelans have cannot be solved with outside intervention. It must only be solved within Venezuela.”

He was adamant that the United States is not really interested in cleaning up the region’s drug problems but only after regime change in Venezuela.

“This is a regime change operation and it is not a drug issue. International reports say that drug trafficking towards the United States is about 87 per cent on the Pacific Ocean and not on this side of the world. So, we know when you deploy all this military equipment and operations, obviously there is another purpose.”

 

 

 

US Navy in Port-of-Spain

2025. 10/24

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that Container operations at the Port of Port-of-Spain will be suspended on several berths from October 26-30 to accommodate the USS Gravely (DDG-107), a United States Navy ship scheduled to arrive on Sunday.

The Ministry also revealed that the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit will conduct joint training with the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) during the same period.

The versatile US warship, with a crew of approximately 300, is capable of performing a range of missions, including anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare and is equipped with a five-inch cannon and vertical launching systems for missiles.

The visit by the USS Gravely will strengthen US-T&T military-to-military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures and advanced medical capabilities, leveraging the TTDF’s facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and enhance mutual trust.

These efforts strengthen interoperability, reinforce long-term defence cooperation, and improve operational readiness among partner forces. The development comes amid heightened US military presence in the Caribbean Sea, where the US deployed air and naval forces to counter threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The administration in Port-of-Spain strongly supported the move while denying it is part of any coordinated efforts to depose the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela.

In a notice to port users yesterday, acting CEO Robert Ramsubhag said the port had been asked to berth the vessel during the period. As a result, no container operations will be allowed on Berths 6E, 6W, or 7.

Ramsubhag said the expected arrival of a US naval vessel in T&T was nothing out of the ordinary, noting similar arrangements had been made in the past with other visiting military and hospital ships. The incoming vessel has a deep draft, similar to the US hospital ship that docked here previously and port officials have been working through the necessary checks to accommodate it safely.

T&T regularly receives vessels from the US, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and as a public port, the authority is obligated to facilitate such visits in coordination with the relevant ministries.

“We do this in good faith and in the interest of maintaining strong relations with our international partners. It’s part of our Port Authority Act, you can check that we facilitate any naval vessel,” he added.

Shipping agents and operators were also asked to review their plans and make alternative arrangements during the port closure. The Port of Port-of-Spain said it will keep stakeholders informed of any changes to the schedule.

 

 

EXXON IN TT

Exxon is exploring TT offshore Block UD1 adjacent to Stabroek Block and there is every reason to hope for another oil and gas field in the petroliferous Atlantic Hydrocarbon Province.

This will take years to come on stream but is a potential game-changer. Cold weather and new sanctions on warriors already boosted the oil and gas price.

 

 

 

 

Exxon Mobil advised Prepare For A Cold Winter

Venezuela seeks details of Exxon field tests offshore Trinidad – Reuters

October 28, 2025 Carl Surran, SA News Editor

The Venezuelan government has requested location and other details from Trinidad and Tobago about the first field tests to be conducted by Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) in an ultra-deepwater block it was awarded earlier this year, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Venezuelan oil minister Delcy Rodriguez reportedly demanded information on Exxon’s plans, including if potential finds could extend into Venezuela’s territory, in a meeting she called with Trinidad’s acting head of its mission to Caracas.

Trinidad is prepared to inform Venezuela about a seismic survey Exxon plans next year, but will not provide further details about the work plan or say if there is potential for a discovery extending into Venezuela, since none has been made.

The block is near the maritime border with Venezuela and northwest of the prolific Stabroek block Exxon operates in Guyana.

Venezuela suspended a wide energy pact with Trinidad, including several joint gas projects, after President Maduro criticized what he called the country’s pro-U.S. stance.

 

 

 

MADURO CUTS GAS LINES

suspends energy deals with T&T

2025, 10/28

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last night confirmed the suspension of gas agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, saying this was due to the recent hostile actions taken by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Government.

Yesterday, Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez made the commendation to Maduro, citing tensions arising from Persad-Bissessar’s welcome of the US military.

Rodriguez said the board of Venezuela’s Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. had proposed to Maduro the immediate denunciation of the Energy Cooperation Framework Agreement between T&T and Venezuela.

Last evening, during the 95th broadcast of his programme Con Maduro, Maduro said, “On the aircraft carrier of the supremacists of the US empire against Venezuela and South America, I have approved the precautionary measure of the immediate suspension of all the effects and the agreements.

That is why I have decided to take this decision. What the supremacists want is Venezuela’s riches. I approved the precautionary measure of suspending the agreement and requested that the case be referred to the Council of State, the Supreme Court of Justice, and the National Assembly to take structural measures in this matter.”

The arrival of the US naval ship the USS Gravely in T&T on Sunday generated continued stern responses from Venezuela yesterday, with several Venezuelan ministers alleging that T&T is aligning itself with the United States to attack Venezuela. Maduro said all evidence regarding the CIA’s alleged military exercises off the Venezuelan coast had previously been handed over to T&T.

“The last time we gave them all the evidence of those who wanted to bomb the headquarters of what was the United States embassy in Caracas, they simply went out to protect us, we know for sure in Miami, we gave them names and surnames.”

Maduro reported that between Saturday and Sunday, a new group of mercenaries paid by the CIA was captured and their objective was to carry out an auto-attack on the military vessels that the US has positioned off the Venezuelan coast.

In explaining the move , Rodriguez said the energy deal, signed in 2015, was valid for 10 years and was renewed in February for 5 more. Rodriguez cited Article 13, number 3 of the agreement, which allows either party to denounce the agreement.

“We are responsibly proposing to the Head of State to denounce it immediately. And, as a consequence, to suspend all gas agreements that Venezuela maintains with Trinidad and Tobago.”

Rodriguez pointed out that T&T is “a neighbouring brotherly country with solid historical ties between our republics, with solid ties of friendship between our peoples.

But the new Prime Minister of this country has decided to join the US agenda to attack a Caribbean brotherly people, to attack Venezuela, to attack Colombia, to attack South America, in a really surprising way. It cannot be expressed otherwise.

The position of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is surprising. She has decided to believe the little birds that were sold to her from the United States, that they can invade Venezuela, take the gas, hand it over.

No, no, no. The only way is energy cooperation. That is why this directive proposes responsibly to President Maduro the denunciation of the cooperation agreement and the suspension of all gas agreements that our republic maintains with Trinidad and Tobago.”

PM: Nobody will pressure us!
However, in an immediate response, Persad-Bissessar said no one, including the Venezuelan government, will pressure or blackmail her Government into retreating from the fight against drug cartels.

“The last Government mistakenly placed all their hopes in the Dragon project. We have not done so, therefore, we’re not susceptible to any blackmail from the Venezuelans for political support.”

Persad-Bissessar, who said T&T’s future does not depend on Venezuela “and never has,” added that plans are underway for economic growth within the energy and non-energy sectors. With the OFAC licence valid for six months, whether the Dragon Gas project is once again dead is now an issue. Persad-Bissessar said her Government was awaiting Venezuela’s official correspondence.

” No one, be it the Venezuelan government, Caricom or any other entity, will pressure or blackmail my Government into retreating from the fight against the drug cartels. I am tired of seeing our citizens murdered and terrorised because of gang violence driven by illegal drugs and arms trafficking. T&T citizens’ safety and happiness is my main concern. “We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.”

UNC sources last evening said since 2020, the Trump administration had agreed to conduct business with PDVSA after then opposition leader Juan Guido appointed Horacio Francisco Medina Herrera President of “the ad hoc” PDVSA Board.

“Therefore if the Maduro regime refuses to deal with TT on the Dragon gas deal, there are other avenues for dialogue and licensing,”

66% of the population of Venezuela is Catholic and opposes the Maduro regime.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for steadfast support for democracy, efforts to achieve a peaceful transition, unify a divided opposition and resist militarization of society.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and her struggle against the regime despite threats and being forced into hiding.

 

 

 

Hysteria as Kamla welcomes US destroyer

25 October

Responding to critics of the visit by a US Navy destroyer to Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused the Opposition People’s National Movement of having ties to the local drug mafia which finances its operations and therefore wanted to protect them.

She further accused the PNM of creating hysteria and undermining national efforts to combat crime.

The sense of unease among the population intensified on Thursday night when the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs announced that the USS Gravely (DDG-107) will dock in Port of Spain tomorrow, accompanied by the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 5-day mission aims to facilitate military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures, and advanced medical capabilities, while utilising T&T Defence Force (TTDF) facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and build mutual trust.

Before the start of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee (SFC) yesterday, Opposition members urged the Prime Minister during media interviews to provide more information about the ship’s visit. The Prime Minister in a 2-page statement sharply rebuked the Opposition, accusing the party of ties to the drug gang which ­finances their operations.

“Unfortunately, the Opposition PNM and their agents are persistent in creating unnecessary hysteria and conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to create instability and chaos.

It is most concerning that the PNM, a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia, is ­overtly attempting to undermine efforts to stop drug, arms and human trafficking into our country.”

US Navy most welcome

Standing firmly in defence of the US Navy visit, Persad-Bissessar said the Government of Trinidad and Tobago welcomes the United States Navy and Marine Corps for joint military training with the TTDF. Trinidad and Tobago has long been plagued by crime and she emphasised the importance of US assistance to prevent atrocities.

“This visit augurs well for our nation. It represents a continued partnership in strengthening our national security, enhancing operational readiness, and improving protective capabilities.“

For many years, open and poorly secured borders enabled trafficking of humans, drugs and firearms. Thousands of illegal migrants entered Trinidad and Tobago and over 10,000 citizens were brutally murdered during excesses of the last two decades. Invasions, VAW, robbery, rape, abduction, extortion and scams target the peaceful rural majority.

“Most disheartening is that the histori­cally PNM-controlled constituencies are most affected by drugs and bloody gang violence, fuelled by actions of drug cartels.

Yet the PNM and their agents choose to put the interests of their drug mafia ­financiers in front of their constituents. The PNM’s main concern is protection of the illegal profits of their drug mafia ­financiers.

They have no care for the pain and suffering of their constituents, far less all other citizens who have borne the terror of murder and grotesque violence for years.”

The daily disinformation campaign of the PNM is clearly aimed at derailing ongoing drug and arms interdiction efforts to protect their financiers.

In December 2024, ex-prime minister Dr Keith Rowley and the US Department of Defence renewed and amended the Status of Forces Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States.

SOFA facilitates interoperability between their armed forces, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team (CBSI-TAFT) and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). The USA and T&T maintained a SOFA since 2007, which was renewed in 2013 and again in December 2024.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed her Government’s support for the US Navy presence.

“We need all the help we can get to protect our people. Trinidad and Tobago must always come first. My Government will continue to work with our international partners to strengthen our institutions and safeguard our nation”.

The vast moderate majority heartily welcome the return of US Marines to Port-of-Spain, amid ongoing differences with Venezuela.

 

 

 

T&T, Caricom, Venezuela plus—Part 1

2025, 10/23 Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie

A divided Caricom is not in the Caribbean’s best interest. But no one is feeling the heat in the region more than Trinidad and Tobago because of migration under the Nicolas Maduro regime and the proximity of T&T to Venezuela. This we must understand.

This is what sets Kamla Persad-Bissessar apart from her Caricom colleagues and other regional leaders.

In addition, the Prime Minister took an anti-Maduro stand as Opposition leader when massive protests began under Juan Guido in 2019, after Guaido became National Assembly president in Venezuela, and repression by Maduro increased.

Our Prime Minister, as Opposition leader then, took a stand against dictatorial rule and oppression of the Venezuelan people and for democracy.

Caricom intervened on Maduro’s behalf at the UN, led by then prime minister of T&T, Dr Keith Rowley, on the basis of sovereignty and non-interference. And to some extent, restraint prevailed under then US president Joe Biden.  Since then, T&T has had up to 100,000 Venezuelan immigrants entering the country.

Not all have remained. Some have returned home. Others have migrated to the US. Some have gone elsewhere. But there must be around 50,000 Venezuelan immigrants in this country now, of whom only 20,000 or so are officially registered. The majority of Venezuelans are law-abiding, have a circle of compatriots as a support group and are learning the society and integrating into it.

But some of the males, now becoming comfortable, and assessing the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of T&T’s society, have been forming gangs. The Venezuelans are largely settled in Central Trinidad. They are in other places as well, but central Trinidad has significant clusters of immigrants.

Trini-spawned Vene gangs are reaching out to urban gangs. This collaboration makes for a deadly combination with cross-country alliances, cross-cultural influences and cross-border reach  —because Venezuelan gangsters here have collaborators across the Venezuelan diaspora in the Americas and, of course, in Venezuela itself.

The good-looking women of Venezuela present other kinds of societal challenges. Some are single, single mothers or away from husbands or companions. Local men are attracted to them but Indian men in particular, seem to be drawn to them. Men with wives and children sometimes befriend them, abandoning their homes, which sometimes leads to broken families and a rather chaotic situation in some Central households and communities.

The Prime Minister, rooted in South Trinidad and with a deep base in Central Trinidad, must be aware of what is happening to her constituents and what this implies for community well-being.

On the other hand, she also must be aware of what the growing gangsterism in Central means for things like home invasions and what collaboration between gangs rooted in Central and urban gangs spread across every government housing project in the East West corridor and, following the ribbon pattern of development from East Port-of-Spain to Enterprise, Couva, La Romaine, San Fernando, Point Fortin, connecting to Cedros where urban, rural, Venezuelan and international currents meet.

The Prime Minister must know she is dealing with a sociological, political, national security and mental health challenge of potentially immense proportions, in a region in which a country such as Haiti, a Caricom country, seems way beyond redemption because of the stranglehold of gangs.

All Caricom countries have a problem with guns, drugs, crime and international collaboration. The difference is the significant Venezuelan presence and the easy passage to transshipment from Trinidad northwards, made possible by the proximity of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, the largest producers of cocaine because of the compatibility of the Andean ridge with the coca plant, to Venezuela, and the easy movement between Venezuela and T&T, with its multivarious border penetration points and our seemingly sleeping Coast Guard, and their dozen boats all docked in Teteron and around Chaguaramas, rendered useless.

But the gangs, guns, drugs, crime and international collaboration are all the way down from the Bahamas, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Barbados, T&T, Guyana, at different degrees, but the migration impact is higher in T&T, Curacao and Guyana, where greater proportions of Venezuelan immigrants live.

And drug cartels and gangs have demonstrably penetrated the political party system and the political process across countries. Where they cannot influence the selection of candidates, they eliminate candidates who are opposed to drugs and gangs. In the last major election in Mexico, several candidates regarded as hostile to their interests by gangsters were executed before election day. How successful have Caribbean leaders been in containing crime in their own countries and across borders in the region? And do they now need to ask for help? (Part II tomorrow)

Latin, Caricom complexity-2

2025, 10/24  Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie

There would be no cocaine industry as lucrative as the kind we have now if the demand by users was not so strong as it is in North America, especially the US and Europe. The cocaine industry could not continue to grow on the production side, and as a prosperous business on the distribution side, if there was not complicity by governments, public service and law enforcement personnel in producing and distributing countries, and if the chain of value across this Latin American and Caribbean region was not so well greased by corruption.

The drugs, guns, gangs and terrorism aspect in the underbelly of societies in the Americas is real. Institutional corruption and complicity which make it possible is also real. Nicolas Maduro’s violation of every aspect of the Barbados Accord, meant to facilitate a free and fair election, is real and no election tally sheet has been produced by the authorities in Venezuela for the 2024

In the Guyana election of 2020, the US intervened, as did Caricom, to ensure the electoral will of the Guyanese people was honoured after months of dispute.

Some Caricom leaders recognised Maduro as president the day after disputed election results were declared, before Caricom could discuss the matter, only to end up divided on the question of asking the election authority in Venezuela to produce the tally sheet at the Organization of American States (OAS).

Caricom leaders have foregone the principles of free and fair election and democracy itself with regard to Venezuela, personally beholden to Maduro because of Petro Caribe debt forgiveness and others received Venezuela’s highest national award. So, personal loyalty and self-interest are factors in this. One never knows.

1. Is the principle of sovereignty valuable?     -Certainly it is.
2. Is the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states important?      -Yes it is.
3. Is the concept of a Zone of Peace important, meaning, a zone free of military action.      -Absolutely.     Small states, above all else, and peaceful states in particular, would see this as a valuable principle of protection.
4. Does T&T want to support a dictatorship seven miles away with unpredictable consequences?     -I think our PM is saying no.
5. Does T&T support free and fair elections next door?     -I think that our PM is saying, yes.
6. Is instability in Venezuela a threat to T&T citizens and to democracy and sovereignty here?     -I think our PM is saying yes.
7. Does our Prime Minister want US help with drugs and gangs in T&T?    And does she want protective help from the US with regard to Maduro and his possible excesses?        -I think that the PM’s answer in both instances would be yes.

Maduro has been in conflict with Guyana, Colombia, Brazil, all border countries,  and also with T&T.

Quite frankly, that is where the stand-off is within Caricom.

All Caricom leaders at the time, including T&T’s leadership, supported Forbes Burnham, who oppressed his people, rigged elections, suppressed opposition, facilitated the execution of Walter Rodney and gave life and opportunity for the sacrilege of the Jim Jones commune. Burnham was simply embraced by Caricom as one of the boys.

Maduro, like Burnham, is extremely charming and full of guile and deft at finesse but he is a brutal dictator.

8 million people fled Venezuela; 5 million under him. Opposition politicians have been persecuted. Thousands of people imprisoned. His anti-American stance might be defensive but it might also be pure populist and geopolitical alignment strategy.

Such stances, however, should not buy our complicity with his excesses and it should not facilitate Maduro’s hiding behind notions of sovereignty, non-interference and a Zone of Peace, all things which should be cherished but which Maduro surrendered the right to claim by his actions and behaviour in his own country and with his neighbours.

By the same token, Latin Americans and West Indians have no desire to become collateral damage in an undeclared war against Maduro and US intervention may trigger solidarity in the region, even if their governments are silent. There is a level of complexity here that needs to be appreciated.

US President Donald Trump is not a knight in shining armour in this. He is uncomfortable with the intense relationship between Cuba and Venezuela and the deepening involvement of China and Russia in Venezuela. We are entering dangerous territory, not just for the Western Hemisphere but for the wider global politics.

 

 

“TT economy would collapse without Venezuela gas”

22 October

Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez warned Trinidad and Tobago that its economy would collapse without Venezuela gas deals. The gas must be paid for and she cautioned Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on relying on the US for access to Venezuelan gas. Rodriguez had a direct message to the people of TT.

“Your prime minister is leading you off a cliff by believing Marco Rubio’s promise to give you Venezuela’s gas for free. Venezuela’s gas comes with a price tag. Every molecule exported, be it to TT or other neighbours as planned, must be paid for.

That is international cooperation and natural trade. Anything else is fantasy. They are deceiving her, and she is deceiving an entire country, misleading Trinidad’s business sectors. They will be left high and dry.”

Delivering a fiery address at the Venezuela Productiva 2030 Business Expo Forum, broadcast live on teleSUR’s YouTube channel, she said TT needs Venezuela’s gas and the only way is through Venezuela’s government.

“There is no other way. It is not Rubio who is going to give the gas to TT, it is Venezuela. You will see, sooner than later.”

Amid renewed efforts to revive the Dragon gas deal between TT and Venezuela, Rodriguez referred to Persad-Bissessar as being “like Marco Rubio’s puppet.” Insisting that the US is “feeding” Persad-Bissessar with false promises, Rodriguez referred to a Venezuelan idiom, “pregnant birds,” to describe the false promises.

“Marco is selling pregnant birds to the prime minister of TT, a country we have gas export agreements with.

“If Venezuela stops exporting gas to Trinidad, their economy will collapse, affecting the Caribbean. President (Nicolas) Maduro has always been very responsible about this. It is part of Commander (Hugo) Chavez’s legacy, what Petrocaribe did for Caribbean countries.”

Petrocaribe was an energy programme launched in 2005 in which Venezuela supplied crude oil to Caribbean nations at discounted prices. TT was not part of the agreement.

Rodriguez charged that the US had “disrupted and blocked” the initiative.

“The US blocked the Petrocaribe programme, just look at the state of Haiti now. Well, they are trying to pull the same trick with Trinidad and their pipe dreams, selling them the false idea that they will take gas from Venezuela and gift it to Trinidad. Do you really think that is possible?”

Persad-Bissessar recently held discussions with Rubio over matters relating to national security, energy security and economic security.

On October 9, Attorney General John Jeremie confirmed a licence from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control would resume negotiations on the Dragon Gas project, a cross-border initiative involving Venezuela’s reserves. OFAC operates under the US Treasury Department.

 

 

Upstream  Winners at 2025 Gulf Energy Information Excellence Awards

for energy industry’s leading innovations and thought leaders.

REGIONAL COMPANIES :

Upstream Operator of the Year: ExxonMobil
Best Controls, Instrumentation, Automation Technology:  Baker Hughes,
Best Modeling Technology: Scalable Earth Modeling – Halliburton Landmark
Best Deepwater Technology:

1. Best Drilling Technology: Stream™ high-speed intelligent telemetry –
2. Excellence in Corporate Culture: WeLead – Building future leaders through Mentoring – SLB

 

 

US sanctions on Russia trigger leap in crude prices

Prices spiral after US Treasury targets Russia’s largest oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil

Nicholas Heath
Enterprise editor 23 October 2025

A US decision to impose sanctions on Russian oil companies triggered a sharp rise in benchmark crude prices on Thursday, with markets concerned that Washington’s steps could tighten global supply levels.

The US Treasury on Wednesday announced that it will target Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft as part of attempts to pressure Moscow into a ceasefire deal with Ukraine. Announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said ,

“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war.”

Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING said with the two Russian oil companies together accounting for about 5 million barrels per day of production , the measures could put a meaningful dent in supplies in the short-term.

“Sanctions on companies producing more than 5 million [barrels per day] of oil are significant. Clearly, the concern for the market is oil flows from Russia.”

Benchmark Brent futures traded around 5.2% higher in London at $65.85 per barrel. The corresponding WTI contract was up by over 5.5% at $61.75 per barrel.

Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy said the latest sanctions represent a “significant and unprecedented escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Moscow. The sharp rise in oil prices following the announcement underscores market fears that Russian crude exports – particularly to India, one of its key customers – could fall sharply.”

Trump had raised pressure on India and China to curb purchases of Russian crude, announcing last week that India’s Prime Minister Narendara Modi had pledged to stop purchases. Imports of discounted Russian crude surged after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, with India now the world’s single largest buyer from Russia.

In an early suggestion of the Indian response to the Treasury announcement, leading Indian refiner Reliance Industries said it will reduce its imports of Russian crude. The FT reported.Reliance will “recalibrate” its imports of Russian crude based on guidance from the Indian government.

Sanctions under Trump add to punitive measures that predecessor Joe Biden inflicted on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” on his way out of the White House in January, although markets will watch to see whether the latest moves have a bigger impact. Patterson suggested, “We must wait and see if these latest sanctions are more effective or if Russia can circumvent them, as it did with curbs earlier this year.” (Copyright)

 

 

Colombia’s Ecopetrol to launch bidding for Covenas FSRU project

LNG Prime,   9 October

Colombia’s state-owned energy firm Ecopetrol will soon launch a bidding process for an FSRU-based LNG import project at its Covenas maritime terminal.  [ Link to LNG Prime ]