Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, is calling for calm and diplomacy between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela as tensions rise over claims of a plot to overthrow the Nicolas Maduro government.
“All I would like to do is to urge both neighbours to continue to act peacefully in accordance with international law,” Gonsalves told the Trinidad Guardian in an interview, encouraging both countries to resolve the matter maturely and without inflammatory rhetoric.
“As far as practicable, we do not incline the situation with any excessive rhetoric. We just take our patience into account. And whatever is the problem, we solve them maturely between two neighbours,” added Gonsalves, who previously served as Pro-Tempore president of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), a regional bloc that includes both Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
The regional statesman’s remarks follow an escalating war of words between Port of Spain and Caracas. Last Friday, the Venezuelan government expressed “its profound surprise at the irate and unjustified reaction” of Trinidad and Tobago to what President Maduro described as “a legitimate complaint” about alleged attempts to destabilise his government.
“Venezuela has captured criminals of Trinidadian origin, who have confessed their plans, statements that have been duly supported with compelling evidence presented by the competent authorities,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement.
The allegations come days after Trinidad’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar addressed concerns at a post-Cabinet news conference. “We take very seriously threats being made by Venezuela,” she said, referencing comments from Venezuelan Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello, who claimed that a Trinidad and Tobago national had participated in “terrorist activities” aimed at undermining the Maduro administration.
Cabello named the individual as “Gis Kendel Jheron,” echoing earlier accusations by Maduro that both Trinidadians and Colombians had used Trinidad and Tobago as a staging ground for efforts to destabilise Venezuela. “We are going after the gangs, wherever they are. Together, we will guarantee peace in this country,” Cabello vowed.
However, Persad Bissessar pushed back strongly. “There is no evidence to support the comments made by Cabello,” she said. “Today I want to make it very clear to the Venezuelan government and officials that they can do whatever they want on Venezuelan territory, but they cannot come here.”
Local police in Trinidad and Tobago also reported that the individual named by Cabello does not appear in the country’s criminal database.
While not ruling out playing a mediating role, Gonsalves emphasized that diplomacy must prevail. “That would be what my own broad position would do as someone who supports very much—and we all do, and Caricom does, and so too does Venezuela—we support our region as a region of peace. We want to see good neighbourliness,” he said.
“If there is any challenge which arises, we should not interfere in the internal affairs of any other state. We should not bring any foreign power into this particular matter. This is a matter which we have to be careful that is not blown out of proportion,” Gonsalves added.
With both nations holding firm to their respective positions, regional leaders and observers will be watching closely to see whether diplomacy and dialogue can prevail.
