The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, assured Monday that Washington had “never asked” to use the islands to launch an attack on Venezuela, while a contingent of American Marines was conducting exercises in the country located about ten kilometers from the Venezuelan coast.
“The United States has NEVER asked to use our territory to launch attacks against the Venezuelan people. The territory of Trinidad and Tobago will NEVER be used to launch attacks against the Venezuelan people,” wrote Kamla Persad-Bissessar, regarding the military exercises.
Rowley’s press release today is nothing to worry about. As a citizen he has the democratic right to express his opinion.
But the fact remains:1. Rowley, while joining former Bond ambassadors, signed an updated SOFA last year requiring T&T to work with…
— Kamla Persad-Bissessar (@PM_Kamla) November 17, 2025
In the evening, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who had described the exercises as “irresponsible”, criticized the Prime Minister for having agreed to “deploy military force against Venezuela (…) to threaten neighboring countries”. Maneuvers must be carried out until Friday. This is the second in less than a month between Washington and the small English-speaking island nation.
Washington has been hot and cold on possible attacks on Venezuelan territory mentioned by Donald Trump. The leader told reporters on Monday that “at some point I will talk to him,” adding that Nicolás Maduro “has not had a good impact on the United States.” When asked if he ruled out sending American troops to Venezuela, Donald Trump replied: “No, I don’t rule out that possibility, I don’t rule out anything.”
Since August, Washington has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean with the recent arrival of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, officially to combat drug trafficking to the United States. “Trinidad and Tobago will not participate in any actions that could harm the Venezuelan people. We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people,” added Prime Minister Trinidad.
“There is no aggression against the Venezuelan people”
“Trinidad and Tobago’s citizens and infrastructure are NOT in danger because we are NOT participating in any aggression against the Venezuelan people,” he assured. Kamla Persad-Bissessar also said that she supports the discussions between Trump and Maduro that the American president mentioned: “The best way to solve problems is through dialogue.”
However, he stressed: “There are many pressing problems. There is the problem of drug trafficking, drug trafficking and human trafficking. There is the problem of elections that are not free and fair. There is the problem of dangerous gangs that are causing chaos in other countries.”
Since coming to power in May, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has made an increasing number of statements hostile to Venezuelan rule, and has made the fight against Venezuelan immigration one of her hobbies, often linking it to the archipelago’s high crime rate.
Former Prime Minister (2015-2025) Keith Rowley criticized the exercise: “At a time when America is threatening to invade Venezuela, destroy Venezuela, America is asking us to do certain things, it is our sovereignty to say that this is not in our interest and reject it,” he said in a press conference.
Nicolás Maduro himself considers Kamla Persad-Bissessar “completely confused”, accusing her of having “mortgaged the seas and territory of Trinidad and Tobago to deploy (American) military power against Venezuela”. “I think the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago will suffer a very bad impact because of the missteps he has made towards the peace of his country and the region,” he concluded.
