Rodríguez to visit Grenada amid regional tensions following US intervention in Venezuela

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez is expected to arrive in Grenada on Thursday for her first official overseas visit since the dramatic United States military intervention in Venezuela earlier this year.

Rodríguez’s visit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical sensitivity in the Caribbean, including in Trinidad and Tobago, where developments in Venezuela carry direct economic and security implications, particularly in the energy sector and migration flows.

According to a statement from the Grenadian government, Rodríguez will pay a courtesy call on Governor-General Dame Cécile Ellen Fleurette La Grenade before holding talks with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and members of his Cabinet. A joint communiqué is expected following those discussions.

Rodríguez assumed office on January 5, 2026, after the removal and detention of former president Nicolás Maduro during a United States military operation on January 3. The operation, which involved coordinated airstrikes and special forces, resulted in Maduro being taken into US custody to face criminal charges.

The intervention has significantly reshaped political dynamics in the region. While Washington has since moved to normalise relations with Caracas—lifting sanctions and reopening diplomatic channels—critics across Latin America and the Caribbean have raised concerns about sovereignty and the precedent set by the action.

For Trinidad and Tobago, the developments are being closely monitored. Venezuela remains a key neighbour and energy partner, particularly in joint gas initiatives such as the Dragon gas field. Any shift in leadership or foreign policy direction in Caracas could affect bilateral agreements, cross-border trade, and the ongoing management of Venezuelan migrants.

Rodríguez has pledged to maintain stability while signalling a possible recalibration of relations with the United States, even as reports persist of internal tensions and continued detentions within Venezuela.

Her visit to Grenada also follows regional unease over increased US security interest in the Caribbean. Prior to the intervention in Venezuela, Grenada had declined a US request to install a military radar system at Maurice Bishop International Airport, citing technical and sovereignty concerns.

The issue sparked public demonstrations, with civil society groups advocating for the Caribbean to remain a “zone of peace.” Former Grenadian foreign affairs minister Peter David told a protest march that regional governments must resist actions that could undermine sovereignty.

“We are here demanding that our region be maintained as a zone of peace,” he said at the time.

Rodríguez’s visit is therefore likely to be closely watched not only in Grenada but across CARICOM states, including Trinidad and Tobago, as leaders assess the implications of Venezuela’s political transition and the evolving role of external powers in the region.