10 hours ago
1
Freelance Contributor
Venezuela’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello has issued another direct warning to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, accusing Trinidad and Tobago of authorising United States military aircraft to use local airports and suggesting Venezuela would respond if its territory or people were harmed.
Speaking on his weekly Wednesday night programme Con El Mazo Dando, Cabello said, “T&T is authorising US military assets to use their airports. Look at me closely, if something happens to us here in Venezuela, you know what’s going to happen. Be certain, be absolutely certain, Madam (Prime Minister). Be absolutely certain if Venezuela is attacked by the United States… And we’re not talking about the people of Trinidad and Tobago. No, no, no.”
Cabello made the remarks before a live studio audience of government supporters, who shouted and applauded as he spoke.
During the broadcast, he placed a sticker on a board reading: “Trinidad and Tobago authorises US military aircraft to utilise their airports.”
Clips of the programme circulated widely on Venezuelan social media shortly after the broadcast.
In response, one Venezuelan commenter argued that Trinidad and Tobago should be absorbed into Venezuelan territory regardless of who governs Port-of- Spain.
“Seriously, speaking about security… we must incorporate that island that was historically Venezuelan until the theft of the English… It is essential, regardless of whether this Chávez Government is in power or not,” the post read.
Cabello also dismissed T&T’s response to Venezuela’s decision to terminate all energy agreements.
In response to statements from Persad-Bissessar that Trinidad and Tobago never relied on Venezuela for natural gas supplies, Cabello said: “T&T labels it fake propaganda, Venezuela’s announcement to extinguish the gas deal. Fake, fake. Open the valve to see.”
This was not the first time Cabello has directly attacked Persad-Bissessar. He has been one of the more vocal members of Nicolás Maduro’s regime as the tension between Venezuela and the United States escalated, and has criticised Persad-Bissessar before for her support of the US initiative to target narco traffickers in the region.
Earlier this week, Trinidad and Tobago granted permission for US military flights to transit the Piarco International Airport and the ANR Robinson International Airport.
US military transport aircraft have since arrived at both airports, marking the first recorded movements following formal transit approval announced by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs on Monday.
Hours after that announcement, Venezuela President Maduro ended all energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing the Persad-Bissessar Government of hostile actions and collusion with the United States following the seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil last week.
English (US) ·