Tue Oct 28 23:16:26 UTC 2025: ## Venezuela Bans Trinidad and Tobago PM Amid Rising Tensions Over US Military Action

Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuela has declared Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “persona non grata,” barring her from the country in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nations. The move comes in response to Persad-Bissessar’s vocal support for increased US military presence and operations in the Caribbean Sea, specifically the US bombing campaign targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels.

The Venezuelan National Assembly voted in favor of the sanction on Tuesday, following weeks of heated exchanges between Persad-Bissessar and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Persad-Bissessar had openly applauded the US military buildup, stating her approval of the strikes and expressing a desire to see drug traffickers “killed violently.”

Venezuela has vehemently condemned the US campaign as an “illegal and completely immoral military threat,” with Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto raising concerns at the UN General Assembly. Legal experts have echoed these concerns, citing potential violations of international law and drawing parallels to extrajudicial killings. The US campaign has involved at least 13 strikes against maritime vessels, resulting in an estimated 57 deaths, with no confirmed link to drug trafficking established publicly.

The escalating dispute has triggered a series of retaliatory actions. Maduro recently suspended a major gas deal with Trinidad and Tobago in response to the nation hosting a US warship. He accused Persad-Bissessar of turning her country into an “aircraft carrier of the American empire against Venezuela.” Further fueling the conflict, Trinidad and Tobago is reportedly considering a “mass deportation” of undocumented migrants, primarily Venezuelans.

The US military has significantly increased its presence in the region, deploying seven warships, a submarine, drones, and fighter jets. The intensified bombing campaign, now extending into the Eastern Pacific Ocean near Colombia, has led some observers to believe the Trump administration is using the military to destabilize Maduro’s government. While Persad-Bissessar remains unwavering in her support for the US campaign, the escalating diplomatic fallout has significantly strained relations between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

Read More