PORT OF SPAIN – Trinidad and Tobago has opened its international airports to United States military flights as regional tensions surrounding Venezuela continue to escalate.
The decision allows U.S. aircraft to use Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and the airport in Tobago for logistical purposes, including refueling and crew rotations.
The government in Port of Spain described the access as temporary and limited, framing the move within the context of regional security cooperation.
The decision comes amid a broader increase in U.S. military activity across the Caribbean. Washington has intensified pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro while expanding its operational presence in the region.
During the same period, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reiterated its warning to airlines regarding deteriorating safety conditions for flights over Venezuelan airspace, citing heightened military activity and security risks.
US President Donald Trump has also imposed an oil blockade on Venezuela, redirecting a large American naval flotilla in the Caribbean for operations against so-called Narco-terrorism intercepting sanctioned oil shipping tankers and leaving the country.
The announcement follows the recent US seizure of a large oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, a rare direct military action against Venezuelan oil exports.
The announcement follows the recent US seizure of a large oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, a rare direct military action against Venezuelan oil exports.
The move comes amid a US naval buildup in the Caribbean and Trump’s threats to carry out military strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Since September, the US military has killed more than 80 people in attacks on alleged cartel boats, which Trump claimed were being used by the Venezuelan government to “flood” America with narcotics.
Venezuela said the strikes were part of a “colonialist” plan to topple Maduro and plunder the country’s natural resources. Caracas also accused the USA of “state piracy” and has vowed to defend its territory and natural wealth.
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The response from Caracas was swift and sharply critical. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused Trinidad and Tobago of facilitating U.S. operations against Venezuela and announced the suspension of talks on natural gas supplies to the neighboring country.
According to Rodríguez, Trinidad and Tobago is allowing itself to become part of what she described as a hostile U.S. strategy in the region. Criticism has also emerged domestically within Trinidad & Tobago.
Opposition politicians and former government officials warned that allowing U.S. military aircraft access to national airports could entangle the country in geopolitical tensions and strain relations with neighboring states.
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The government, however, stressed that the arrangement does not involve the establishment of a permanent military base and insisted that national sovereignty remains fully intact.
The development is significant for the wider Caribbean, where several territories, including Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire, have also experienced increased military air traffic and additional civil aviation safety advisories in recent weeks.
Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. The announcement follows the recent US seizure of a large oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, a rare direct military action against Venezuelan oil exports.
The American pressure will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us, Trump added.
A first shipment of K8 fighters from China are tested at a ceremony in Venezuela. Caracas says the planes will be used to help curb drug trafficking through the country.
Prometheus / ABC Flash Point News 2025.
