The Daily Journal — The governments of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago formally launched a new stage in their diplomatic relations after signing a bilateral working agenda aimed at restoring cooperation in energy, trade and border security.
The agreement followed an official visit to Caracas by Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Sean Sobers, who held a working meeting at the Casa Amarilla with Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Félix Plasencia.
Scope of the bilateral agenda
In a joint statement dated September 3, 2026, both delegations established that Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, will lead this new chapter under the principles of “mutual respect, understanding and good neighborliness.”
On the economic front, the roadmap prioritizes the energy sector and calls for coordinated efforts to harness the natural resources available in both countries. It also includes a plan to revive trade, expand the exchange of goods and stimulate growth in both economies.
The two countries also made commitments in agriculture, with plans to strengthen joint programs aimed at bolstering food security in the Caribbean. On environmental matters, the document sets out common guidelines to promote sustainable development and ecological preservation across their shared marine basin.
The bilateral agenda also covers collective security, with a focus on border surveillance, maritime security and monitoring migration flows. At the same time, the agreement includes cultural cooperation mechanisms aimed at deepening social and institutional integration between the two nations.
In the same official statement, the Venezuelan government thanked Port of Spain for sending humanitarian assistance and three tons of medical supplies to support response efforts following the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
Resumption of diplomatic contact
The Trinidadian delegation, which included Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Service Randall Karim and military representatives, marked the resumption of direct political contact after tensions arose over international counternarcotics operations in Caribbean waters between late 2025 and early 2026.
In October 2025, Venezuela’s National Assembly declared Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “persona non grata,” accusing her of “taking part in a systematic plan to attack and threaten the sovereignty, peace and self-determination of the Venezuelan people.”
At the time, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said Persad-Bissessar “crawls like a worm” for allowing the United States to conduct military exercises in her country.
