Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, announced the suspension of energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, in retaliation for hosting the American ship USS Gravely, involved in joint military exercises. Maduro stated that this measure is a reaction to the threats from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who suggested turning the archipelago into an American "aircraft carrier" against Venezuela. Despite the oil embargo imposed on Venezuela, the United States has authorized Trinidad and Tobago to exploit the Dragon gas field, located near the maritime border with Venezuela.
Persad-Bissessar responded that Trinidad and Tobago will not yield to Venezuelan "blackmail" and that her country will continue the fight against drug cartels. Relations between the two countries have significantly deteriorated since Persad-Bissessar took office, who supports the American military presence in the region.
Sources