As tensions deepen between the United States and Venezuela, Saint Lucia has joined other Caribbean voices urging dialogue and respect for the Caribbean as a “zone of peace”.
Speaking before the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last week, Alva Baptiste, Saint Lucia’s External Affairs Minister, recalled the 2014 declaration by Latin American and Caribbean leaders that designated the region a “Zone of Peace” founded on the principles of the UN Charter.
“Saint Lucia, like other CARICOM member states, views with concern recent developments in the region which have aggravated tensions between Venezuela and the United States,” Baptiste said. “We pray that this tension does not degenerate into violence.”
Baptiste also expressed concern over the ongoing border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, reiterating that the issue should be resolved peacefully.
“Saint Lucia prioritises diplomacy over violence, believing dialogue fosters peaceful coexistence and safeguards sovereignty,” he added.
His address also called for an end to the United States’ embargo on Cuba and highlighted the need for renewed engagement on Haiti’s crisis, while underscoring that “small nations can advocate effectively through non-violent diplomacy, demonstrating moral and pragmatic strength.”
CARICOM leaders: ‘Not collateral damage’
Other CARICOM leaders echoed similar appeals for peace and restraint. Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the current regional situation as “deeply troubling,” citing both the worsening crisis in Haiti and the military build-up in the southern Caribbean Sea.
“We are now seeing a shocking violation of a hemispheric understanding that the Caribbean be treated as a ‘Zone of Peace,’” she said. “A simple accident could put the southern Caribbean at disproportionate risk. It is not acceptable for our countries to be viewed as collateral damage.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves issued a similar call for de-escalation explaining the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America have unanimously declared the Caribbean area a “Zone of Peace”.
“We urge our American friends to abide by this declaration,” Gonsalves stated. “Let us cooperate in combating drug trafficking and allied trans-national criminal activities. But a unilateral militarisation is decidedly not the way to go. Again, I’m imploring my American and Venezuelan friends to sit down maturely and talk through these problems. So that we can have a resolution.”
The calls for peace come amid a series of confrontations between the United States and Venezuela in recent weeks.
US–Venezuela tensions escalate
On October 2, Venezuela’s Ministry of Defence accused the US of an “illegal incursion” by combat aircraft detected 75 kilometres off its coast, calling the action a “provocation that threatens national sovereignty.” Caracas vowed to bring the matter before the United Nations and regional organisations.
Days earlier, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a fourth “lethal, kinetic strike” in the Caribbean Sea, targeting what Washington described as a narcotics vessel near Venezuela. Four people were killed in the strike.
Hegseth said the attacks were part of a broader counternarcotics campaign, but human rights organisations and regional analysts have questioned the legal basis and potential consequences of such operations.
Mixed views within the region
While most Caribbean leaders have urged restraint, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has taken a different stance, expressing conditional support for the US operations.
“We can’t do things the same way and expect things to change,” Persad-Bissessar told Guardian Media, expressing concern over heightened crime in the country. “Since the US intervention in the southern Caribbean, the murder rate has dropped — not as much as we want, but it has dropped. So I do not regret and continue to support the US intervention.”
She added that while Trinidad remains committed to CARICOM unity, “safety for the citizens of T&T is my priority at this time.”
Saint Lucia focuses on border security
Back at home, Saint Lucia’s Police Commissioner Verne Garde said the island remains focused on strengthening its own border control efforts amid a rise in illegal trafficking.
“The border has been quite a challenge for the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force throughout the years,” Garde told St. Lucia Times following the Franco-Saint Lucia Commission meeting in Castries last week.
He noted that the force maintains strong relationships with law enforcement in both Martinique and St. Vincent, and that joint efforts are being made to improve monitoring along Saint Lucia’s southern maritime border.
“We will do all that is humanly possible to make sure our borders remain safe,” Garde said. “We’ll never find ourselves in a situation where we have zero contraband, but we will make strides to ensure our border remains secure.”
Garde added that the commission’s discussions focused on regional collaboration rather than the ongoing US–Venezuela dispute. “We never touched on that particular matter,” he said. “I’ve always maintained that we should be able to take care of our domestic situation rather than tampering into areas where we don’t have the resources to do that.”
