Tue Oct 28 03:00:57 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided information, written from an Indian perspective (with the implied audience being readers of “The Hindu”):

Headline: Venezuela Threatens Energy Deal with Trinidad Over US Warship Presence

Caracas, Venezuela – October 28, 2025 – Tensions between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago have escalated dramatically after Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, threatened to cancel key energy agreements with the island nation. This follows Trinidad’s decision to host the USS Gravely, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, for joint naval exercises.

Rodriguez, also Venezuela’s Minister of Hydrocarbons, denounced Trinidad’s actions as “hostile” and accused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissesar of joining the “war mongering agenda of the United States.” She stated that she would request President Nicolas Maduro to withdraw from the 2015 agreement allowing joint natural gas exploration in the waters separating the two countries. The narrowest point separating them is only 11km wide.

The arrival of the USS Gravely in Trinidad is part of a controversial U.S. campaign targeting Venezuelan speedboats allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The U.S. has deployed significant military resources to the southern Caribbean, including warships, a submarine, drones, and fighter jets, with the Trump administration launching ten strikes against alleged drug vessels since September. These strikes have resulted in at least 43 deaths, raising concerns about extrajudicial killings.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissesar has defended the U.S. actions, stating a preference for drug traffickers to be “blown to pieces” rather than endangering her citizens. Trinidad is often used as a staging ground for drug smuggling operations destined for Europe and North America.

The Venezuelan government views the U.S. military buildup as a direct threat and accuses Washington of plotting to overthrow President Maduro, whose recent election has been widely disputed. This latest development further strains already fragile relations between Venezuela and the United States, and risks destabilizing regional security. The situation raises questions about the role of external powers in the region and the potential for further escalation, a concerning trend for India and other nations invested in fostering peaceful international relations.

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