In a sharp escalation of regional tensions, Venezuela has abruptly terminated its energy cooperation pact with Trinidad and Tobago, a move that signals a deeper geopolitical fracture in the southern Caribbean. The decision came directly from President Nicolás Maduro, who accused Trinidad of aligning too closely with U.S. military and economic interests in the region.
Maduro’s remarks, delivered on his weekly televised program, described Trinidad as a “launchpad” for foreign intervention and claimed the country had undermined Venezuela’s goodwill by “running out of gas” long before Caracas agreed to provide any. His Vice President had earlier submitted a proposal to sever the energy accord with Port of Spain—a deal that had been dormant and delayed due to complex U.S. sanctions.
The now-defunct agreement once envisioned joint drilling of the Dragon gasfield, a massive reserve believed to hold over four trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Though initially signed with optimism in 2018, the project was slowed by shifting alliances and increasing U.S. scrutiny over who ultimately benefits from Venezuelan resources.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar responded with indifference, brushing off the suspension and asserting that the nation’s growth plans—energy or otherwise—do not hinge on Venezuela. “We have our own blueprint,” she stated, “and our economic engine does not run on external validation.”
But the backdrop is anything but calm. The United States has intensified military operations in the southern Caribbean, citing anti-narcotics missions as justification. A new wave of deployments—submarines, missile cruisers, and surveillance aircraft—has swept through the region under the banner of combating Venezuelan-backed drug trafficking. Venezuela, however, decries the campaign as an act of aggression cloaked in diplomacy, a direct threat to its sovereignty.
The divide between Port of Spain and Caracas widened when Trinidad offered its full support for the U.S. military posture. In a controversial remark, Persad-Bissessar stated that drug traffickers “should be killed violently,” a comment that sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles and was interpreted in Caracas as a tacit endorsement of U.S. strikes in regional waters.
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, addressing the United Nations, framed the entire situation as a violation of international law—a calculated power play by Washington, backed by local allies like Trinidad, to destabilize any government that resists its economic interests.
The energy corridor that once held promise as a symbol of Caribbean cooperation is now a flashpoint. With the gas deal dead, and regional waters growing tense, the only thing flowing freely is mistrust.
