By Staff Writer
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jan 4, CMC – The Bureau of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have reiterated a call for “peaceful dialogue” to ensure stability in Venezuela following the United States invasion of the South American country and the detention and arrest of its President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.
In a statement, the Bureau, comprising the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, the CARICOM chairman, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and their St. Lucian counterpart, Phillip J. Pierre, said that they met on Saturday to discuss the situation.
CARICM had earlier issued a statement in which it said it “is actively monitoring the situation, which is of grave concern to the Region, with possible implications for neighbouring countries.
“CARICOM will continue to update the people of the region as more information is received,” the two-paragraph statement added.
In their statement, the CARICOM Bureau, whose principal responsibilities include updating the consensus of member states on issues determined by the regional leaders and facilitating implementation of CARICOM decisions, both at the regional and local levels, in an expeditious and informed manner, said “CARICOM is firmly committed to the fundamental principles of international law and multilateralism enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and respect for human dignity.
“The Region reiterates its call for peaceful dialogue through diplomatic channels to ensure Venezuela’s stability, good governance, democracy and prosperity for the people of Venezuela,” the Bureau said, adding that “CARICOM remains ready to support all such efforts, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect.
”The Bureau of Heads of Government assures that every effort is being taken to ensure the safety and security of citizens of the Region. The Bureau will continue to monitor the multifaceted impact of this evolving situation and the implications for economic activity within the Community, particularly air travel,” the statement said.
Following the US invasion, President Donald Trump told a news conference that the US is going to “run Venezuela “until we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition. He said US oil companies will fix Venezuela’s “broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country.,
But in an address on state television, Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said Maduro is the country’s only president, even as Trump had earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders.
Maduro has been indicted in New York on drug and weapons charges. He has previously denied being the leader of a drug cartel despite the US placing a ransom of US$50 million on his head. Venezuela has declared a national emergency, denouncing “extremely serious military aggression.
Meanwhile, former Guyana president, Donald Ramotar, has condemned the US action, saying “the bombing of Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president and first lady has taken us back to the days of gunboat diplomacy.
“International laws are being trampled on and totally disregarded,” he said, adding that the sovereignty of small and medium-sized countries has become meaningless and the US has emerged as a supercolonial power.
“Countries in the region have become terrified, and many will soon have to express ‘support’ for the US action,” he said, adding what occurred on Saturday is a continuation of the US and Israel’s action in Palestine,e and unless the peaceful and democratic forces of our world unite, we will see more of the same.
“Cuba and Iran may be next,” said the 75-year-old Ramotar, who served as head of state here between 2011 and 2015.
CMC/gt/ir/2026