Caracas claims the arrival of the USS Gravely in Trinidad is part of a CIA plot to "provoke a war" and alleges the arrest of U.S.-backed mercenaries.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA – Venezuela on Sunday furiously denounced the arrival of a U.S. guided-missile destroyer in the nearby island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, labeling the visit a dangerous "military provocation" aimed at inciting a war in the Caribbean.
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| The USS Gravely arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela (MARTIN BERNETTI) |
The condemnation from Caracas comes amid a dramatic escalation of U.S. military pressure, including the deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region and a series of deadly U.S. strikes on vessels in international waters.
The destroyer, the USS Gravely, docked in Trinidad's capital, Port of Spain, for a four-day visit that includes joint training with local defense forces. For Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, this is a direct threat. Trinidad and Tobago sits just 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the Venezuelan coast at its closest point, and its government, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is fiercely critical of Maduro and has sided with Washington.
Venezuela’s government angrily denounced "the military provocation of Trinidad and Tobago, in coordination with the CIA, aimed at provoking a war."
"False Flag" Plot Alleged
This U.S. naval presence is part of a large-scale military campaign launched by President Donald Trump, ostensibly to combat drug-traffickers in Latin America. However, the campaign has almost exclusively targeted Venezuelan assets and personnel.
President Trump has increasingly threatened in recent days to take the campaign "on land," fueling Venezuelan fears that Washington is plotting Maduro's ouster. Tensions escalated sharply on Friday when the Pentagon ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier to the region.
In response, Caracas claimed Sunday that it had arrested "a group of mercenaries" with links to the CIA. This announcement came just days after President Trump confirmed he had authorized covert CIA operations against Venezuela.
Maduro’s government alleged, without providing details, that the "mercenaries" were planning a "false flag attack"—a staged incident designed to be blamed on Venezuela, thereby providing a pretext for a full-scale U.S. military intervention.
A Deadly Campaign at Sea
While a land invasion remains a threat, the U.S. campaign at sea has already turned deadly. Since September, U.S. forces have blown up at least 10 boats they claimed were smuggling narcotics, killing at least 43 people.
This standoff has pulled in regional neighbors. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, a sharp critic of the American strikes, was sanctioned by Washington on Friday for allegedly allowing drug production to flourish.
Trinidad and Tobago, a laidback twin-island nation of 1.4 million, has also been caught in the crossfire. The nation acts as a hub in the Caribbean drug trade, but its citizens are now being killed. According to their families, two Trinidadian men were killed in a U.S. strike on a vessel that set out from Venezuela in mid-October. The mother of one victim insisted he was a fisherman, not a drug trafficker.
Locals Fear "Getting a Lash"
Venezuela has accused Trinidad of serving as "a U.S. aircraft carrier." In the streets of Port of Spain, the U.S. warship's arrival was met with a mix of support and deep anxiety.
Some residents welcomed the show of support for Trump's campaign, but others worried about being dragged into a devastating conflict with their powerful neighbor.
"If anything should happen with Venezuela and America, we as people who live on the outskirts of it... could end up getting a lash any time," Daniel Holder, a 64-year-old Rastafarian, told AFP. "I am against my country being part of this."
Victor Rojas, a 38-year-old carpenter who fled Venezuela eight years ago, said he was worried for his family still living under the country's economic collapse.
"Venezuela is not in a position to weather an attack right now," he said.