PM Gonsalves calls for Venezuela-USA dialogue at UN General Assembly

Nations can definitely collaborate and cooperate with the United States of America (USA) to combat drug trafficking and transnational criminal activities, but the unilateral militarization of the waters of the region is not the way to go.

That was the position delivered by Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsavles during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday morning, September 26,2025.

Dr Gonsalves, said that the “recent ramping up of tensions between the USA and Venezuela is most unhelpful to peace and stability in our Caribbean and Latin America”,as is the militarisation of the Caribbean.

The Prime Minister urged the USA and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to de-escalate mounting tensions and pursue dialogue in the interest of regional peace and stability.

On September, 2, 2025, a U.S. military vessel struck and sank a speedboat that President Donald Trump alleged was smuggling drugs from Venezuela  during a high-seas interdiction mission. Between September 15 to 19, the US said it struck three more vessels, killing its occupants.

Three days after the first strike, Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro, President Trump and offered to engage in direct talks with special envoy, Richard Grenell.

The letter was shared on Telegram by Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez. In the letter, Maduro denied being involved in narco-trafficking and referred to the allegations as “fake news, spread through various media channels”.

Maduro offered to engage in “a direct and frank conversation with your special envoy”.

The total death toll from the continued strikes is now more than a dozen.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister is his address at the UN said that, “by all means”, cooperate in combating drug trafficking, but noted that the recent ramping up of tensions between the USA and the Bolivarian republic of Venezuela is most unhelpful to peace and stability in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines calls for the scaling back of actions and rhetoric which are so inimical to cordial neighbourly relations. In particular, we find the foreign militarization of the waters around Venezuela exceedingly troubling,” he said.

“Repeatedly, the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America have unanimously declared our area a zone of peace. We urge our American friends to abide by this declaration,” the PM stressed.

“…the unilateral militarization is decidedly not the way to go. Also, again, I’m imploring my American and Venezuelan friends to sit down maturely and talk through these problems.”