US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago, putting more pressure on Venezuela

A US warship, the USS Gravely, has docked in Trinidad and Tobago, fueling concerns about escalating tensions with Venezuela under President Nicolás Maduro. The guided missile destroyer's arrival in the Caribbean nation's capital adds to a growing military presence by the United States in the region.

President Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of Maduro, accusing him of being linked to organized crime gang Tren de Aragua without providing evidence. This escalation has led Venezuela to warn that the US military exercises are a "serious threat" to regional security and a "hostile provocation."

The USS Gravely is set to remain in Trinidad until Thursday, allowing both countries to carry out joint training exercises. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister, has been a strong supporter of the US military presence in the region.

However, not everyone is pleased with the warship's docking. A recent demonstration outside the US Embassy in Port of Spain saw local residents expressing their disapproval, with some criticizing the decision to allow the ship into its waters. "This is a warship in Trinidad, which will be anchored here for several days just miles off Venezuela when there's a threat of war," said David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice political party.

Regional trade bloc Caricom has called for dialogue to address the growing tensions between the US and Venezuela. The crisis has sparked concerns about regional security and the impact on the Caribbean region.

omg i cant even believe whats going on this is like a total repeat of what happened in 2019 when trump said all those mean things about venezuela i swear if he keeps stirring up trouble with maduro, it's gonna be a disaster kamla persad-bissessar shouldve just kept quiet and not spoken out so publicly against the usa now it looks like trinidad is stuck in the middle of this mess idc what david abdulah says but i think its super weird that people are protesting against the usa can't they see how much good the us military does for trinidad and tobago? anyway, i'm just gonna keep on supporting my boy trump all the way

The world is just getting more complicated by the day . I mean, think about it - a warship shows up in Trinidad and Tobago, right next to Venezuela, and suddenly everyone's got an opinion . I'm not saying that's necessarily bad, but come on, can't we all just talk about this instead of sending ships? It feels like the US is trying to assert its dominance over the region, which is already dealing with a whole lot of other issues .

And what really gets me is that Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago's PM, has been a strong supporter of the US military presence. Isn't she supposed to be looking out for her country's interests? Not to mention the fact that some locals are actually against this - what does that say about our democracy if we can't even get a simple thing like a warship docked in Trinidad without causing a stir?

Wow , this is getting crazy! I mean, a warship in Trinidad? It's like, what's next? A naval base or something? Interesting how Kamla Persad-Bissessar is down with this, though. I guess you can't blame her for wanting some economic boost from the US dollars, but still... seems like a pretty big escalation to me .

I think it's kinda crazy that people are already freaking out about this USS Gravely docked in Trinidad . Like, I get it, tensions with Venezuela are real, but is it really necessary for a US warship to just show up uninvited? It's gonna fuel the fire, you know? And what's with everyone assuming Maduro is just gonna roll over without saying boo? Newsflash: Venezuela's got its own interests and concerns too . I'm not saying we should just sit back and do nothing, but can't we have a calm conversation about this instead of resorting to hot heads and loud ships? Kamla Persad-Bissessar is right that we need dialogue, not more military posturing . Can't we all just chill for a sec and figure out a peaceful way forward?

OMG u guys can u believe this!! a us warship is just chillin in trinidad & tobago and now venezuela is all upset i feel like both countries are being super sensitive but i get it, tensions are high right now i'm just curious to see what happens next i do hope caricom is able to facilitate dialogue between the two countries and not let things escalate into a bigger crisis

I'm getting so anxious thinking about this... what if it escalates? Maduro's already got some legit issues with Venezuela, but now we've got a warship in Trinidad?! It's like they're setting up for a confrontation. Kamla Persad-Bissessar is trying to be diplomatic and all, but it feels like the US is just piling on more drama. What's the point of joint training exercises when tensions are already high? And what about Venezuela's security concerns? They're not exactly being subtle with their warnings... something needs to calm down here!

I'm worried about this whole situation... like, what's going on with Venezuela and the US? One minute they're friends, next they're enemies? And now we've got a warship in Trinidad, just chillin' for days off Venezuela's coast? That seems super suspicious to me. I get that Maduro's been making some shady moves, but do we really need a warship here? Like, can't we talk it out instead of escalating things? And what about the people of Trinidad and Tobago? They're getting caught in the middle of all this. Shouldn't they just be able to enjoy their beaches without the threat of war hanging over them? Is it really that hard for the US and Venezuela to resolve their differences peacefully?

I'm seeing this USS Gravely warship arrive in Trinidad & Tobago and it's like, is this really what we need right now? I get why some folks are worried about Venezuela, but let's not jump into a military stand-off with our friends just yet! Can't we try to find a peaceful way to resolve things?

I mean, I know Kamla Persad-Bissessar is all for the US presence here, and that's cool, but what about those who aren't so sure? It's like, let's have a chat, folks! Talk it out, you know? Not everyone's got to agree on everything, but we can try to find common ground.

And honestly, I'm a bit surprised the US is pushing this hard without even having talked to Venezuela first... seems like they're rushing into things. We need some caution here! Let's hope Caricom's call for dialogue works out and we don't end up with something really messy on our hands

It's like they're setting up a big game of chess, but without the checkmate. Both sides are playing their cards, but what if nobody actually moves? This is just more fuel for the fire, making it easier for Venezuela to deny all involvement with organized crime.

im thinking what's up with this us warship docking in trinidad lol like we all know trump's been beefing with maduro since forever but i'm not sure why they're making a big deal out of it now... maybe its just a case of the us trying to flex their military muscle in the caribbean? Kamla persad-bissessar seems like a cool leader though, she's got trinidad and tobago's best interests at heart

anyway, i dont see why venezuela is making such a big deal out of it either... they need to calm down and not jump to conclusions david abdulah has a point tho, like who needs a warship in trinidad when there's a threat of war? regional security is key, but can we just talk about this stuff peacefully for once?

omg, this is getting serious!! like, i get why trump is all up in venezuela's biz but seriously, does he have 2 prove shakin' hands w/ some crime lord? nycrdnt think its gonna solve squat. and trinbagon ppl r right 2 be mad, they gotta deal w/ the fallout of this warship comin in like, what if it's a trap? cant we just have peace 4 once?!?!

this whole thing feels super fishy to me... like, why now? what's the real reason behind the us military presence in trinidad? it's not just about Maduro being a bad dude, that's been said before and nothing changed. is it something else going on?

just saw that us warship docked in trinidad lol it's like, what's good fam anyway gotta wonder why trump is so extra with Maduro - seems like just another case of politics getting outta hand meanwhile, venezuela is all like "hey, calm down, usa" but i guess when the ship comes to port it's all about tensions rising anyone think trinidad is getting taken advantage of with this? and btw, caricom is trying to keep peace

This whole situation is super worrying for me... I mean, we're already living in a world where global politics can escalate so quickly, and now we've got a warship docking in Trinidad and Tobago, just off the coast of Venezuela? It's like, what's going on here?

I don't think we should be surprised that Maduro is getting defensive about this – he's already got a lot to deal with on his hands. And Trump's accusations without evidence are pretty shady. I mean, can't they just talk things out instead of sending in the military?

The thing that gets me is how Kamla Persad-Bissessar is so quick to support the US presence in our region. Like, I get it, she wants stability and security, but at what cost? And then you've got these local residents protesting outside the Embassy, just trying to make their voices heard. It's like, we need to find a way to address these tensions without resorting to aggression.

I think Caricom is onto something with calling for dialogue, though. We need to find ways to resolve conflicts peacefully, rather than letting them escalate into full-blown crises. Can't we just try to understand each other's perspectives and work towards a solution?

I'm not buying it. Just because Kamla Persad-Bissessar is cool with having a warship in Trinidad doesn't mean everyone else should be stoked about it . What's really going on here? Is this just a bunch of saber-rattling by the US to intimidate Venezuela into submission? And what about these joint training exercises? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me . I mean, think about it – we're talking about a warship in the Caribbean, just miles off Venezuela's coast. That's not exactly subtle diplomacy . And what about all the empty threats from President Trump? Can anyone really take him seriously? Not me, that's for sure .

I'm getting a bit anxious about this USS Gravely docking in Trinidad , it's like they're setting the stage for something big. I mean, what if Venezuela does decide to go all out against the US? The last thing we need is a regional conflict . And what about Kamla Persad-Bissessar's loyalty? Is she just playing both sides or is there more to it than meets the eye?

I'm not saying Donald Trump is right, but come on, no evidence for his claims and now the US is flexing its military muscle . It's like they're trying to send a message to Maduro without actually resolving anything. And what about Trinidad's people? They deserve better than to be caught in the middle of all this .

I wish Caricom would really take charge here and get some dialogue going ASAP . We can't just sit back and wait for something to happen. Let's hope it doesn't come to that .

omg i'm getting so worried about this situation the us warship docking in trinidad & tobago is like, super suspicious what's going on really? i feel for kamla persad-bissessar trying to balance both countries' interests but at the same time i get why people are scared a joint training exercise with the us doesn't necessarily mean there won't be more conflict...we should all just stay calm and wait for caricom's dialogue to resolve this

I'm not surprised the US is flexing its military muscles in Trinidad, tbh . It's like they think a warship is gonna make Maduro back down or something . Newsflash: Venezuela isn't gonna be intimidated by some naval presence. And what's with all these joint training exercises? Is this just a fancy way of saying "we're here to spy on you"? Kamla Persad-Bissessar seems like the only one making sense, though . The whole thing feels like a big show of force without any real progress being made. Can't we all just talk it out instead?

I mean... what's the deal with all this, right? So the US warship shows up in Trinidad and Tobago and suddenly everyone's like "oh no, it's a threat to Venezuela"? I'm not saying there isn't tension between those countries, but do we really need our military presence escalating things? It feels like just another example of how complicated international politics can get... And what's with the joint training exercises? Can't they just have a chat and work out their differences without involving everyone else in the Caribbean? I'm all for regional security, but we gotta be careful not to create more problems than we solve. It's like my grandma used to say... "when you introduce a new sauce to a dish, it can either make it better or mess up the whole thing"... in this case, I'm just worried about what kind of sauce they're adding to our regional security soup