WASHINGTON, DC – CARICOM’s Foreign Affairs Ministers are said to be closely monitoring the recent mobilization of US troops in Caribbean waters and the subsequent strike on a Venezuelan drug vessel.
Chair of the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), Dr. Denzil Douglas, stressed that the region must remain a zone of peace.
He revealed that the region’s foreign ministers met last week to discuss Washington’s increased military presence, noting that the deployment of troops under the US Southern Command is part of Washington’s broader push to combat terrorism and what it calls “narco-terrorism.”
These issues directly affect the United States and territories within the Caribbean region, including Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
"And so, the strike that has taken place over the last 24 hours or so is one that has come to our attention, and one which we know has received support -- explicit support -- from the government of Trinidad and Tobago, and maybe not so explicitly support from Guyana," Dr. Douglas told Freedom FM’s News Desk
Dr. Douglas expressed concern about the potential for rising tensions in the Caribbean.
“We continue to insist that we would want the region to be a zone of peace, and we are hoping that once what has been stated, that in the fight of narco-terrorism, and the fight against the movement of illegal arms, this is a matter that all of us in the Caribbean region are very concerned about, because in all of our territories we know that the illegal movement of weapons can only harm our people and our country,” added Douglas.
For decades, drug traffickers have used the Caribbean as a transshipment hub, with narcotics often destined for the United States—an issue that continues to trouble Washington.
On Tuesday, the strike killed 11 individuals whom the US administration labeled as “narco-terrorists” and
The move has won the backing of Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has since faced heavy criticism over her remarks in support of the strike.
The Trump Administration, however, is standing firm, with both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly defending the operation, signaling a strong message to Caracas.
Meanwhile, Dr. Douglas confirmed that CARICOM will revisit the matter soon to gather more information and assess the implications for the region.
