Venezuela warns Guyana, Trinidad of consequences of hosting American troops

Guyana and Trinidad, two of the Caribbean Community's most resource-rich and consequential countries, are part of an international alliance supporting alleged American efforts to eliminate drug trafficking from Venezuela through a current military blockade of the South American nation and threats against the administration of President Nicolas Maduro.

- BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

In the case of Guyana, officials argue that the country has every right to line up behind Washington due to decades of threats of military invasion by Venezuela to enforce a claim on the western Essequibo Region, comprising two-thirds of its country's landmass.

This is so because the US, through its Florida-based Southern Military Command, has persistently announced plans to come to the rescue of Guyana should Venezuela carry through with any military action against its eastern neighbor.

In the case of Trinidad, authorities say the twin island nation with Tobago is under increasing criminal siege from Venezuelan gangs operating in the country. Just last week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said authorities are preparing to deport at least 200 criminal convicts and suspects back to Venezuela, while Maduro's cabinet has accused Trinidad of allowing armed mercenaries to enter the country from Trinidad, charges the administration has denied.