By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
A series of fast-moving geopolitical and legislative developments unfolded across the region this week, with escalating US–Venezuela tensions raising alarms in the southern Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago addressing concerns over US-installed radar equipment, and Jamaica revisiting a sensitive debate on criminal defamation laws.
US–Venezuela Tensions Intensify After Failed Exit Deal for Maduro
A tense phone call last week between the White House and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reportedly offered the embattled leader a final opportunity to resign and depart the country with his wife and son under safe passage guarantees. According to US media reports, the call—facilitated by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey—collapsed almost immediately after Maduro demanded global amnesty, control over the armed forces, and time to negotiate an exit. Washington rejected these conditions outright.
Days later, US President Donald Trump stunned the region by declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” warning airlines, traffickers, and human-smuggling networks that the order required immediate compliance. The declaration has been widely interpreted in Venezuela as a signal that land-based operations could begin soon.
The development has sparked deep concern in Trinidad and Tobago—situated just seven miles from Venezuela at its closest point—where national security officials are monitoring the situation closely.
Trinidad and Tobago Assures Public Over US Radar Installation
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has moved to calm public fears regarding a US-installed radar system in Tobago. She emphasized that the system is designed to enhance national security rather than support any military action against Venezuela.
“Trinidad and Tobago is not a United States base for attacks on Venezuela,” Persad-Bissessar stated, adding that the US already possesses extensive surveillance capabilities, including thousands of satellites and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier stationed in the Caribbean.
“They don’t need to put a radar in our country for any military purpose,” she said. Her meeting last Tuesday with General Dan Kane, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, focused on narcotics trafficking and regional security—not preparations for Venezuelan military operations.
Jamaica Debates Reinstating Criminal Defamation Laws
In Jamaica, former Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte has urged Parliament to consider reinstating criminal libel laws, citing rising incidents of online harassment, bullying, and defamatory attacks. She argued that Jamaica may need stronger penalties to address the challenges of modern online abuse.
The proposal has been firmly opposed by media stakeholders.
Darian Henry, President of the Press Association of Jamaica, warned that restoring criminal penalties would chill investigative journalism and undermine democratic accountability.
He emphasized that Jamaica already has strong legal mechanisms, including the Cybercrimes Act, which carries penalties of up to 15 years’ imprisonment for malicious online communications—without criminalizing free expression.
Media Association Jamaica Chairman Gary Allen echoed the concern, calling the suggestion a “retrograde step.” Jamaica abolished criminal defamation in 2013 with unanimous parliamentary support, replacing outdated colonial-era laws with the modern Defamation Act.
