US Congressman Carlos Gimenez has publicly backed Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar over her sharp criticism of CARICOM and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a post on X on Monday, Gimenez quoted Persad-Bissessar’s remarks dismissing the Caribbean’s long-standing “zone of peace” doctrine as “fakery,” and praised her support for US policy toward Venezuela, which he described as an “illegitimate, narco-dictatorship.”
The endorsement is one of the few public expressions of support from a US lawmaker since Persad-Bissessar aligned her administration more closely with Washington’s approach to Venezuela, including support for expanded US military and maritime operations in the region.
Persad-Bissessar has accused CARICOM of siding with what she called a “narco government” in Caracas and said Trinidad and Tobago would not support the bloc’s “zone of peace” position. She has also argued that Venezuela has repeatedly threatened Guyana and implied territorial claims involving Trinidad and Tobago.
Her stance marks a shift from Trinidad and Tobago’s traditional support for CARICOM’s emphasis on dialogue and non-militarisation, and has fuelled renewed regional debate over foreign policy alignment and security priorities.
