Venezuela Declares Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Persona Non Grata

Oct 29, 2025 at 02:39 PM

|

Lanka Leader

Venezuela’s National Assembly has unanimously approved a motion declaring Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, persona non grata, citing actions deemed hostile to Venezuela’s sovereignty and regional peace.

The decision, passed during an ordinary session on Tuesday, was proposed by Deputy Iris Varela under Article 111 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure and justified with reference to Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use or threat of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

Varela accused Persad-Bissessar of offering Trinidadian territory to the United States for operations against Venezuela, alleging that U.S. sanctions and military activities in the Caribbean threaten regional stability. Lawmakers further claimed that Trinidad and Tobago had granted the CIA and U.S. Southern Command permission to conduct military exercises on its soil, calling the move a “hostile provocation” against Venezuela and a violation of principles of sovereignty and peaceful coexistence.

The Assembly stated that the prime minister’s stance endangers political and social stability in the Caribbean and contradicts the principles of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which upholds the region as a “zone of peace” free of nuclear weapons.

The adopted agreement declares Kamla Persad-Bissessar persona non grata for participating in what the Assembly described as a “systematic plan against the sovereignty, peace, and self-determination of the Venezuelan people.” It also expresses strong condemnation of her alleged support for “war and violence in the Caribbean,” labeling such conduct incompatible with international law and the region’s culture of peace.

Additionally, Venezuelan legislators endorsed the government’s decision to suspend the framework agreement for energy cooperation between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago and other related deals. Deputy Iris Varela called for the complete termination of energy ties with Port of Spain.

The resolution urges Trinidad and Tobago to distance itself from “war provocations” and denounces the presence of U.S. naval vessels in the Caribbean, accusing them of violating international law through acts of aggression and extrajudicial operations.

Opposition deputy José Dionisio Brito Rodríguez also criticized Persad-Bissessar’s “warmongering and submissive” attitude, accusing her of betraying CARICOM’s principles of regional cooperation and economic integration.