Grenada PM warns Venezuela crisis is fueling regional instability

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has warned that recent developments in Venezuela have failed to advance peace or resolve disputes, instead pushing the region toward greater instability.

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Speaking Monday night on the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) programme Beyond the Headlines, Mitchell said the events over the weekend had not narrowed differences between the parties involved and underscored the need for diplomacy.

“We again reiterate our position that diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation, and compromise are the only means of achieving any sustainable, long-term resolution to differences,” Mitchell said.

The prime minister, who is also an attorney, stressed that all parties must respect international norms, the rules of international engagement, and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries across the Western Hemisphere and the Americas.

“That is the only way we will make progress…whenever differences arise between certain countries or amongst countries,” he added.

Mitchell declined to directly respond to Washington’s statement that it intends to “run” Venezuela following the removal of President Nicolás Maduro. Instead, he questioned the premise of the comment.

“I don’t think I have a response to that. The only way a country can run another country, let me put it this way, a country runs its own country, and the only way you can run another country is if that territory belongs to that country or is a colony of that country,” Mitchell said. He suggested the question should instead be directed to U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration.

During the interview, Mitchell also addressed discussions with the United States regarding a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) on third-country nationals, as Washington seeks to move asylum processing outside the continental United States.

He said Grenada is reviewing the proposal but has not agreed to any arrangement. According to Mitchell, the United States has approached several Caribbean nations with similar requests.

“For some time now, the US Government has approached Caribbean countries, including Grenada, to enter into a memorandum of understanding about third-country nationals,” he said.

Mitchell explained that the proposal could involve Grenada accepting individuals on a case-by-case basis when the United States is unable to return deportees to their countries of origin. However, he emphasized that discussions remain ongoing and that no commitment has been made.

“To date we have not agreed to accept,” he said, noting that technical officers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the US Embassy have all been involved in the discussions.

He declined to reveal details of Grenada’s counter-proposal, citing national security concerns.

The comments follow a dramatic escalation in Venezuela over the weekend, when the United States military invaded the country and seized President Nicolás Maduro on allegations linked to international drug trafficking.

Maduro and his wife appeared in a federal court in New York on Monday, where both pleaded not guilty. The case has been adjourned until March 17.

A 25-page indictment accuses Maduro and others of collaborating with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, the charges could carry sentences of up to life imprisonment.