Link to article: https://latinamericanpost.com/americas/a-narrow-strait-a-widening-rift-u-s-warships-trinidads-turn-and-venezuelas-fury-in-the-caribbean/
Recent rising tensions between the US and Venezuela has led to a split in the waters of the Gulf of Paria. Recent cooperation from Trinidad with the US has led to a huge increase in the number of patrols between Venezuela and Trinidad. These patrols are labeled as anti drug efforts by the US, and an act of intimidation by Venezuela. Trinidad has fully embraced the US, performing joint patrols together. Following this event Venezuela suspended all gas agreements with Trinidad, even after years of building relations and waiving US sanction waivers. With this conundrum Trinidad is now looking for new gas agreements with other mainland countries like Guyana and Suriname. Trinidad is also working with the US to make sure any Caribbean gas movement does not benefit Venezuela. These movements from the US have been very similar to the 1989 invasion of Panama, yet it is not illegal as Trinidad has permitted temporary operations. It is definite that tensions will continue to rise as each party involved has their own narrative, and backing down is not an option for Venezuela.
This article is important because it shows how each player views the issues at hand, and why the imbalance between the 3 has led to a conflict. The US has the publicly said view of protecting the hemisphere against drug trafficking and dictatorship, meanwhile Venezuela is dealing with a troubled economy that is trying to move past the past. This creates a tension between the countries as the US optically has security concerns involved with current powers in Venezuela. Venezuela doesn’t see itself as a problem, and is just trying to maintain. Trinidad is more of a middle man that has chosen the US and its power over relations with its neighbor in hopes of gaining economically. Overall the likely outcome to these views will be an even deeper hole for Venezuela, and possibly even war, as it seems no one is looking out for them. I think each stakeholder has their reasons to carry on the way they have been, and it is likely that tensions will continue to rise.
I would consider the US and Trinidad’s security policy in this case to be Multilateral interventionist, connecting into what we have discussed in class. This is because the US has determined Venezuela to be a security threat of organized crime and instability, deciding to get help from Trinidad and Tobago to intervene in the coastal economy of Venezuela.