CARICOM calls for stability, good governance & democracy in Venezuela

– wants prosperity for Venezuelans, safety & security of region

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has called for stability and the restoration of democracy in Venezuela after leader Nicolás Maduro was captured by the United States (US) military during an operation in Caracas on Saturday. Hours after the early operation that saw US troops removing the Venezuelan dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home on a military base, the CARICOM Secretariat said in a brief statement that the Conference of Heads of Government met very early following reports of military action in Venezuela. “CARICOM 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 brief missive from the regional bloc detailed.
In a subsequent statement on Saturday evening, the Secretariat said the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, which includes Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia, convened following US military action in Venezuela.
Following that meeting, CARICOM reiterated its firm commitment to the fundamental principles of international law and multilateralism enshrined in the United Nations (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. CARICOM remains ready to support all such efforts, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect,” the statement detailed. It went on to add that, “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.” This statement from the regional bloc comes as President Donald Trump announced, after the successful operation to capture Maduro, that the US will run Venezuela until a proper transition can take place. “We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years. So, we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition, and it has to be judicious, because that’s what we’re all about,” Trump said at a press conference on Saturday. In the early morning operation on Saturday, the US Army conducted a “large-scale strike” in Caracas during which they captured Maduro and his wife – both of whom are indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple criminal charges, including “narco-terrorism” – from their downtown Caracas compound. Senior US military officials say the aerial attacks disabled Venezuela’s air defence systems, thus providing cover for US helicopters heading towards the compound. Maduro and his wife were taken into custody after a failed attempt to go into hiding and flown out to the US warship, USS Iwo Jima, on their way to New York to face prosecution by the Justice Department. According to international reports, Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges, but the Justice Department released a new indictment on Saturday of Maduro and his wife that painted the regime as a “corrupt, illegitimate Government” fuelled by a drug trafficking operation that flooded the US with cocaine. Saturday morning’s operation follows months of US military buildup in the Caribbean region with several warships positioned off the Venezuelan coast. In fact, the US in recent weeks conducted several deadly strikes on more than 30 boats which the Donald Trump Administration said were carrying drugs, as well as seized two oil tankers off Venezuela just last month.
In an October 18 statement, the CARICOM Heads met to discuss the increased security build-up in the Caribbean and the potential impacts on Member States.
With the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, which “reserved its position”, regional leaders came to several agreements. They reaffirmed the principle of maintaining the Caribbean region as a Zone of Peace and the importance of dialogue and engagement towards the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict. CARICOM remains willing to assist towards that objective. The CARICOM Heads also reiterated their continued commitment to fighting narcotrafficking and the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, which adversely affect the region. They underscored that efforts to overcome these challenges should be through ongoing international cooperation and within international law.  They further reaffirmed unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region and the safety and livelihoods of the people of the region.