Caracas slams 'military provocation' by US, Trinidad and Tobago drills

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
Today 06:51

Venezuela denounces military exercises conducted by Trinidad and Tobago with the US Southern Command, calling them a violation of sovereignty and a threat to regional peace.

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The USS Gravely destroyer arrives to dock for military exercises in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP)

The Venezuelan government on Sunday strongly condemned ongoing military exercises conducted by Trinidad and Tobago in coordination with the US Southern Command and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a dangerous provocation designed to escalate tensions in the Caribbean and threaten Venezuela’s national sovereignty.

In a statement, Caracas warned that these operations represent not defensive exercises, as claimed by Washington, but rather a direct attempt to militarize the region and spark confrontation.

Venezuela further stressed that the joint military activities are part of a broader plot involving a false-flag operation. According to the government’s statement, “a false flag attack is underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country.”

The Venezuelan authorities stated they had captured a group of mercenaries with “direct information of the American intelligence agency” whose mission was to carry out such an operation in the region. A false flag attack, as defined by the statement, is one carried out in a way that makes another party appear responsible.

On Trinidad and Tobago

The Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the government of Trinidad and Tobago for compromising its independence by aligning militarily with the US. It stated that this move amounts to a “clear concession of national sovereignty,” and accused Port of Spain of acting as a "military colony serving US interests."

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Venezuela does not accept threats from any government aligned with the US. Caracas confirmed that the country’s national armed forces remain in a state of full alert and mobilization to counter what it called “a highly dangerous provocation.”

The statement concluded by affirming Venezuela’s commitment to defending its sovereignty and rejecting any attempt to turn the Caribbean into a platform for violence and foreign dominance.