US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks in a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Photo: Nathan Howard/AFP.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil has condemned US imperial interference in the Petrocaribe energy alliance, following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ongoing tour of Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname.
In a statement published via social media this Wednesday, March 26, Gil stated that Washington promotes an energy model rooted in “extortion and submission,” contrasting it with Venezuela’s approach of “sovereign energy cooperation free from blackmail or foreign military bases.” He criticized the hypocrisy of the US entity, stating, “It is shameless to lecture on democracy while funding countless coups in Latin America.”
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Gil framed recent US imperial interference efforts as frustration over failed attempts to dismantle Petrocaribe, asserting, “They couldn’t destroy Petrocaribe, so now they resort to lies.” He dismissed US-backed oil projects in Guyana and Suriname as a “hoax to justify ExxonMobil’s plunder,” accusing US corporations of exploiting regional resources.
The foreign minister emphasized Petrocaribe’s role in providing energy supplies without political strings, unlike what he termed “colonial US aid.”
“Petrocaribe guarantees energy sovereignty today and tomorrow,” he added, framing the alliance as a model of “true solidarity among peoples” that defies US hegemony.
Rubio’s tour
Though Rubio’s trip is framed as a “goodwill mission,” analysts argue its true aim is to pressure Caribbean nations into aligning with US imperial policies against Cuba and Venezuela. The tour coincides with Trump’s recent threat to impose 25% tariffs on countries trading with Venezuelan oil, escalating tensions over Petrocaribe.
Rubio, a key Trump administration figure, will meet with officials in Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname to “strengthen energy ties.” However, sources suggest undisclosed goals include undermining Cuba’s medical missions and weakening Caribbean support for Venezuela’s Petrocaribe program, which has provided subsidized oil to the region for nearly 20 years.
The US empire has repeatedly, and without any evidence, accused Cuba’s medical program of enabling “human trafficking” and labeled Petrocaribe “extortionate.” Jamaica’s Foreign Ministry has already rejected these claims, stating its review found no evidence of wrongdoing in Cuba’s health initiatives.
The Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, made his differences clear with Rubio regarding the doctors, who are sent by Cuba around the world. Rubio, a Cuban-American and vociferous enemy of the communist governments in Havana and Caracas, announced a few weeks ago that the Trump administration would bar visas for foreign government officials who assist the program, which he characterized as so-called “human trafficking.”
“Let us be clear, the Cuban doctors in Jamaica have been incredibly helpful to us,” Holness said at a joint news conference with Rubio this Wednesday. He added that the 400 Cuban doctors in Jamaica had filled a deficit as Jamaican health workers emigrated, reported France Press.
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Homeland Security’s parallel agenda
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is conducting a parallel Latin American tour, visiting Colombia on March 27 to discuss migration and “defense” with President Gustavo Petro and military officials. Her trip follows a stop in El Salvador, where she toured the controversial CECOT mega-prison, currently holding 238 Venezuelan migrants controversially kidnapped by the US and Salvadorean governments.
Noem’s tour concludes in México on March 28, amid Trump’s escalating trade war with the Mexican government, as well as escalating tensions over migration.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
