By Antonio dey | HGP Nightly News|
CARICOM UNDER FIRE FROM TRINIDAD’S PRIME MINISTER
Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has criticized CARICOM, describing the regional bloc as an “unreliable partner” that she claims has sided with Venezuela over her country.
Speaking during an interview on Crime Watch Monday night, Persad-Bissessar said that some CARICOM members have failed to show solidarity with Port of Spain regarding its support for U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean.
“CARICOM is proving to be an unreliable partner in some regards because they chose Venezuela over Trinidad — and that is something we must remember,” she said.
The Prime Minister also argued that while some CARICOM states envision a “zone of peace,” Trinidad and Tobago has faced direct threats amid rising regional tensions linked to U.S. military buildup near Venezuelan waters.
VENEZUELA SUSPENDS ENERGY COOPERATION WITH TRINIDAD
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the suspension of all energy development cooperation with Trinidad and Tobago, including joint natural gas projects.
In a televised address on Monday, President Maduro said he has signed an executive order immediately halting the partnership and has requested that Venezuela’s Congress and Supreme Court formalize the move.
The suspension is expected to affect key projects such as the Dragon Gas Field and several other bilateral energy initiatives.
At the same time, the Trinidad and Tobago government has announced plans to deport 200 illegal Venezuelan nationals as part of a wider crackdown on criminal activity. The Ministry of Homeland Security confirmed that all undocumented migrants will be processed through the Immigration Detention Center ahead of deportation.
HURRICANE MELISSA THREATENS JAMAICA
In Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday with winds reaching 175 miles per hour — posing an unprecedented threat to the island.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered mandatory evacuations across southern Jamaica, including Port Royal, as the hurricane approaches.
Authorities have warned of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and widespread damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
If the storm makes landfall at its current strength, it would mark the first direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history.
U.S. INTENSIFIES ANTI-NARCOTICS STRIKES IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC
And finally, on the international front — the United States military has carried out four additional air and naval strikes on vessels allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor.
According to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the strikes form part of President Donald Trump’s expanded anti-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Since September, over 50 suspected traffickers have been killed in at least 10 separate U.S. operations. Hegseth said all the strikes occurred in international waters, adding:
“These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda — and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and we will hunt and kill them.”
Mexican authorities have assumed responsibility for coordinating rescue operations for the lone survivor.
