Madrid November 14 (Europe Press) –
The government of Trinidad and Tobago this Friday announced new joint military exercises with the United States, in the framework of tensions with Venezuela due to the deployment of American forces in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean to combat drug trafficking and U.S. bombing.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) and the 22nd U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to Southern Command (Southcom) will conduct joint training exercises from November 16 to 21, 2025,” a statement from Trinidad’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The diplomatic portfolio stressed that the operation was “part of a long history of cooperation” between the two countries’ militaries, and accused Trinidad and Tobago of “continuing to suffer from a scourge of firearms crime and gang violence”.
“These enhanced exercises form part of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s coordinated strategy to ensure that defense personnel are optimally trained and equipped to address these issues at the national level that are having a devastating impact on society,” he justified.
Last month, the arrival of a US warship in Port of Spain sparked a diplomatic crisis between Venezuelan and Trinidadian authorities, which materialized in the suspension of an energy agreement between the two countries and the declaration of Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persado-Bissessar persona non grata by the Venezuelan National Assembly.