Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela had enjoyed extremely friendly relations with well-organized air and sea travel systems until quite recently, when talks and plans to jointly explore a giant natural gas field straddling both nations ensued as Trinidad saw it fit to rescue and host more than 50,000 Venezuelan refugees fleeing economic hardships back home.
Since the late April general elections that brought the Indo-dominated United National Congress (UNC) to power, relations between the two have tanked, with senior officials in both nations trading nasty barbs and threats against each other.
For Trinidad, authorities there say they have been angered by allegations from the defense and other ministries in Venezuela and that local officials have allowed armed and foreign-financed mercenaries and other insurgents to infiltrate Venezuela using Trinidad as a staging point, charges that the state officials have vehemently denied.
The bad blood has not been helped by the recent landing of American marines, fixed-wing aircraft, and attack helicopters in the waters of the Southern Caribbean, presumably to interrupt the flow of drugs from the continent to the US mainland. So enamored was the administration of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar about the presence of the US, as she openly welcomed them and offered Trinidad to the Americans as a base if Venezuela ever dares attack fellow Caribbean Community nation and neighbor, Guyana, to enforce a decades-old territorial claim.
Now, relations are at an all-time low, with Caracas announcing at the weekend that it is moving heavily armed troops and equipment to the northern Sucre State just across the seven-mile stretch of water between the two, further heightening tensions.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez says the military exercise to wipe out traffickers, human traffickers, and weapons smugglers, is being launched at the closest point to Trinidad to “cleanse the area” of criminal elements and activities. “Sixty units will occupy the territory of the 15 municipalities of that state to scrutinize and to conduct reconnaissance and clear the area. It should be remembered that in Trinidad and Tobago, a lot of fuel smuggling occurs, as well as smuggling of weapons and ammunition, and a lot of human trafficking. All of that happens along the axis between Mapuro, the tip of the Paria Peninsula, and Trinidad and Tobago. So, we are going there to clear out any terrorist groups or any drug trafficking organizations that are operating illegally in that territory,” said Padrino. The move appears to be not only aimed at sending messages to a feuding Trinidad but also seems to be a signal of compliance to the US to cleanse the area of traffickers of all kinds.
PM Persad-Bissessar had earlier this month announced plans to deport more than 200 Venezuelan criminal suspects and convicts in local jails, as she hinted as well, about ridding the republic of others in the country.
And while she demanded that Caracas take back its criminals, Phillip Alexander, her junior housing minister, went on an embarrassing social media rant in the past week, telling Venezuela that India would come to the rescue of Trinidad if Venezuela’s military attacked, because of the country’s large Indo population.
“[Indian President Narendra Modi] and India have us held gently in the palm of his hands, and he will nuke Venezuela. You think it is Trump alone you are dealing with? Touch Trinidad, [Vice President (Delcy Rodriguez], you have talk? Modi came here (in July) to show Trinidad and Tobago that one of the most powerful nations in the world has Trinidad in its hands, the diaspora. That will hurt you this morning, it will ‘bun’ you in your belly. Trinidad is part of the Indian diaspora. Trinidad has more people of East Indian descent than any other race. Let that ‘bun’ you in your navel,” he said as political watchers and opposition lawmakers reacted with astonishment.
His remarks drew fierce criticism from opposition elements and critics, but no one in the cabinet has moved to condemn or restrain Alexander for directly attacking Venezuela and proverbially stoking the fire even as tensions heighten.