US Warship Adds to Pressure on Venezuela

A US warship docked in Trinidad and Tobago's capital on Sunday as the Trump administration increases its military pressure on neighboring Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro. The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation adds to aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the US government to fabricate "a new eternal war" against his country, the AP reports. President Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.

Government officials from the twin-island nation and the US said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises. The move was only recently scheduled, a senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told the AP. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been a supporter of the US military presence and the deadly strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela. US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said in a statement that the exercises seek to "address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts."

The visit comes one week after the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago warned Americans to stay away from US government facilities after threats were reported. Many people in Trinidad and Tobago criticize the warship's docking. At a recent demonstration outside the US Embassy, David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice political party, said Trinidad and Tobago should not have allowed it. "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 Abdulah. "That's an abomination." Victor Rojas, a 38-year-old carpenter from Venezuela who's been living in Trinidad and Tobago for eight years, said he was worried for his family, per AFP. "Venezuela is not in a position to weather an attack right now," he said.