Wayne Lumbasi
Venezuela has suspended its gas and energy accord with Trinidad and Tobago after a United States warship docked in the island nation’s capital, Port of Spain.
President Nicolás Maduro announced the decision, accusing Trinidad and Tobago of allowing the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Gravely to visit its ports in what he described as a “provocation” against Venezuela. The suspension immediately halts joint energy projects, including the long delayed Dragon gas field venture, which was expected to boost Trinidad’s declining gas supplies.
In a televised address, Maduro condemned the U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean and accused Washington of using Trinidad as a “platform for aggression” against Venezuela. Vice President and Hydrocarbons Minister Delcy Rodríguez said the suspension was necessary to protect national sovereignty, calling Trinidad’s cooperation with the U.S. a “hostile act.” Caracas also accused both countries of conducting intelligence operations near its maritime border, claims that Port of Spain strongly denied.
The suspension has major economic and political implications. The gas accord had been seen as a potential lifeline for Trinidad’s liquefied natural gas industry, which is facing reduced output from domestic fields. For Venezuela, the move could isolate its energy sector further as it struggles under sanctions and limited foreign investment. The growing dispute has also added tension to the wider Caribbean region, where U.S. security cooperation is expanding and Venezuela views it as a threat to its sovereignty.
The breakdown marks one of the sharpest setbacks in Venezuela and Trinidad relations in years. What once symbolized regional energy cooperation has now become a flashpoint of rivalry and mistrust in the southern Caribbean.
OTHER NEWS
GHANA SIGNS DEAL TO SEND NURSES TO GRENADA
CARIBBEAN NATIONS UNITE: FREE MOVEMENT ACROSS BORDERS
