Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond
From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, shaking hands with Lackram Bodoe, Minister of Health, while being greeted by US Navy officials during a visit to the hospital ship USNS Comfort, docked at the Port of Port-of-Spain on August 7, 2025. Photo: IG/@minhealthtt.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The secretary general of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, described the Trinidad and Tobago government’s position on Venezuela as “hypocritical.” He accused the government of claiming to have good relations with the Maduro administration while simultaneously supporting US imperialist military deployment in the Caribbean.
Cabello’s remarks came during the weekly PSUV press conference. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago are not proud of their leaders,” he commented. “It is shameful. It is a lie that they love Venezuela, as they attack boats they find carrying Venezuelans—hypocritical.”
His comments were a direct response to the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who expressed support this weekend for the US military deployment in the Caribbean to allegedly combat drug trafficking. She went further, warning that in the event of a conflict between Guyana and Venezuela, she would not hesitate to support actions on behalf of Guyana.
“I want to make it very clear that if the Maduro regime launches any attack against the Guyanese people or invades Guyanese territory, and a request is made by the American government for access to Trinidadian territory to defend the people of Guyana, my government will unflinchingly provide them that access,” Persad-Bissessar said.
In a statement issued Saturday evening, Persad-Bissessar said no requests have been made by the US for its military assets to access Trinidadian territory for any military action against Venezuela. However, she added that the US government’s deployment of military assets into the Caribbean to destroy terrorist drug cartels has the “full support” of her government.
Her statements have raised controversy on the island, particularly for contradicting her country’s agreement with the official CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) declaration that designated the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
“Therefore, it is shocking to hear some persons using referrals to the Caribbean region as a Zone of Peace to push negative commentary on the US military deployment against these terrorist cartels,” she stated.
Cabello responded that it is not Venezuela’s policy to attack its neighbors, as history demonstrates, but emphasized that the Essequibo territory—disputed with Guyana for more than 100 years—is Venezuelan.
Venezuela: Trinidad and Tobago’s Reaction to Criminal Incursion Complaint Unjustified
“Venezuela is not attacking anyone, and what is clear is that the sun of Venezuela rises over the Essequibo, and that is not up for discussion with anyone,” said Cabello. “Call it Trinidad, call it whatever. We are the ones being attacked.”
The political dispute occurs amid rising xenophobia in Trinidad and Tobago against Venezuelans. Cabello also reported that a Venezuelan child was recently killed on a boat carrying migrants to the island.
“A child was recently murdered on a boat carrying Venezuelans,” said the PSUV leader, emphasizing that “we have had to fight with so many people. How many times have they threatened (Simón) Bolívar? We are determined to be free.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
