Opposition Leader: US attack in Venezuela 'deeply troubling'

Soldiers guard the area around the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. - AP PHOTO

OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles has criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for not expressing any concern about the well-being of Trinidad and Tobago staff based at the embassy in Caracas following a US military strike in the Venezuelan capital on January 3.

In a statement, Beckles said, “We have taken note of the Prime Minister’s three-line statement this morning, which made no reference to the fact that Trinidad and Tobago has an embassy with staff in Caracas. We place on record our concern for the safety and welfare of the staff and all TT nationals in Venezuela,” she said in a statement.

Beckles regarded the attack as “deeply troubling.”

She said, “While some information remains unclear and unconfirmed, any such development in our immediate geographic space is a matter of serious concern for Trinidad and Tobago, Caricom, and the wider Caribbean.”

Beckles said under the People’s National Movement, TT consistently upheld the principles of respect for sovereignty, no interference, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

“The PNM reaffirms our party’s firm commitment to our country and all countries maintaining the Caribbean as a zone of peace, and we caution against actions that may further destabilise the region and endanger civilian lives.”

She called on all parties involved to exercise restraint, respect international law, and pursue dialogue and diplomatic solutions.

“The protection and preservation of human life must remain paramount.’

Around 1.50 am, US military forces reportedly attacked Venezuela on January 3, capturing that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The US Army’s Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the “large-scale strike,” CBS News reported.

The strikes come amid months of intense US military build-up in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.

In recent weeks, the US has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats, killing over 100 people, the administration claimed were trafficking drugs.

In a social media post, Persad-Bissessar acknowledged the attacks but said “Trinidad and Tobago is not a participant in any of these ongoing military operations.”