Dominica offers to mediate US–Venezuela tensions

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says Dominica is prepared to act as a mediator in the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, reiterating that the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace amid heightened military activity in the region.

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Speaking at an end-of-year press conference on Monday, Skerrit said Dominica and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are urging dialogue and diplomacy, warning that any military conflict in Caribbean waters would have far-reaching consequences for the entire region.

“Dominica is a good friend of both the United States and Venezuela, and in the past we have worked together as an intermediary,” Skerrit told reporters. “We are prepared to do so in this current situation if there are messages from either side to each other.”

Skerrit said Dominica believes it is well-positioned to play that role but stressed his hope that mediation will not be necessary. He called on the United States to draw on its diplomatic record in resolving international conflicts.

“We hope and pray that nothing happens,” he said. “The U.S. president himself has been involved in a number of negotiations across the world and has used the United States’ influence to bring conflicts to an end. I would urge the United States to draw upon that trajectory.”

Since September, the U.S. government has carried out a series of military strikes off the coast of Venezuela and across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as part of what Washington describes as its war on illegal drugs. However, political observers and regional critics argue the actions point to a broader effort aimed at regime change in Caracas, citing Trump’s repeated public attacks on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The U.S. military has reportedly struck several vessels in recent months, resulting in the deaths of more than 80 people, including two Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

The actions have drawn condemnation from international human rights bodies. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the strikes violate international human rights law and called for them to be halted immediately.

Earlier this month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also expressed “deep concern” over reports of lethal U.S. operations against non-state vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The commission urged Washington to ensure that all security operations comply with international human rights obligations, including protections for the right to life, due process and accountability.

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CARICOM has issued its own statement reaffirming the Caribbean as a zone of peace, though the declaration was not endorsed by Trinidad and Tobago, whose prime minister has publicly stated that individuals involved in the illegal drug trade should be killed “violently.”

Despite the tensions, Skerrit acknowledged Dominica’s long-standing cooperation with Washington on security matters.

“The U.S. has been the number one partner of Dominica and continues to be, even today, in terms of their investment in Dominica for national security,” he said, noting that the United States recently provided and installed a radar system to help the island monitor its marine space.

Skerrit said the U.S. is also financing major infrastructure projects on the island and remains a key partner in combating illicit activities.

On the broader regional situation, Skerrit reiterated Dominica’s position that diplomacy must prevail.

“We always maintain that the Caribbean should be a zone of peace and that any thought of military actions in the Caribbean should be reconsidered,” he said. “Dialogue and diplomatic channels are better ways to resolve differences. If there is a breakout anywhere in the Caribbean Sea, it will have a negative impact on all of us.”