Trinidad and Tobago has played a pivotal role in facilitating the US operation that led to the ousting and imprisonment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to analysts. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's open alignment with the Trump administration has placed the Caribbean nation at odds with its regional neighbours and longstanding principles of non-intervention.
Since September 2025, the US has launched at least 21 airstrikes against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, reportedly killing several Trinidadian citizens. In November, a sophisticated US Marine radar system known as G/ATOR was installed in Tobago, just seven miles from Venezuela, accompanied by US military jets and troops. Trinidad also allowed US military aircraft to transit through its airports in December, described by the foreign ministry as for 'logistics' purposes.
Dr Jacqueline Laguardia Martinez of the University of the West Indies said Trinidad has 'openly endorsed US actions under the pretext of combating transnational crime', marking a break from the traditionally cohesive foreign policy of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). She described Trinidad's stance as 'a divergent adversarial stance' that undermines the region's commitment to being a 'Zone of Peace'.
Analyst Peter Wickham noted that Grenada and Antigua refused requests to host the US radar. He suggested Persad-Bissessar's strategy is driven by a desire to secure access to Venezuela's natural gas from the Dragon Field, which holds 4.2 trillion cubic feet of gas. 'She has determined that the best way to get it is not to negotiate with the Maduro administration but to negotiate with Trump,' Wickham said.
Wickham questioned the wisdom of betting on an unpredictable US president, adding that Persad-Bissessar has spoken 'loosely' and called Caricom an 'unreliable partner' despite it being her second-largest trading partner. He expressed scepticism about the long-term success of the approach, noting that the matter could potentially end up before the International Criminal Court.
