Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday accused Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of threatening to authorize attacks on Venezuelan territory, calling her remarks “crazy” and akin to a declaration of war.
“The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago went crazy, she went crazy because she was threatening that she was going to authorize attacks from Trinidad and Tobago against Venezuela. That is like declaring war against Venezuela,” Maduro said during a press conference.
Maduro said he was certain the people of Trinidad and Tobago did not support such a stance, and urged the country to return to “relations of respect.” He speculated that outside forces, including U.S. politicians, were influencing Persad-Bissessar. “Who is behind this? Marco Rubio of course. The death war and warlord, that is how he is being described,” Maduro said.
Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López also issued a warning, stating that any attack launched from Trinidad and Tobago or Guyana would be met with a response. In an Instagram post, he said such retaliation would constitute legitimate defense.
“To those who sent a written statement from the United States, I am referring to the governments of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the government of Trinidad and Tobago, who have played along. I say to you, well, if they attack you from your territory, you will also receive a response, and that is legitimate defense,” Padrino said.
The minister accused Trinidad and Tobago of aligning with Washington, noting Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s recent praise for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean. He also denounced the interception of a Venezuelan tuna boat by the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham, saying fishermen were detained for eight hours during the search.
Maduro emphasized Venezuela’s historic ties with its neighbor, saying Sucre State and Trinidad once shared a sense of community and cooperation. He added that “there has never been a governor of Trinidad to threaten a war against Venezuela” until Persad-Bissessar’s government.
Persad-Bissessar, for her part, has denied any plans to invade Venezuela, saying her government’s priority is to keep its citizens safe. She previously welcomed U.S. counter-trafficking efforts in the region, pledging access to Trinidad and Tobago’s territory in the event of a Venezuelan attack on Guyana, and has said U.S. forces should “kill all drug traffickers violently.”
