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PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago: A US warship docked in Trinidad and Tobago ‘s capital Sunday as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its President Nicolás Maduro.
The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the USgovernment to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.
US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.
Government officials from the twin-island nation and the US said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises.
A senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told The Associated Press that the move was only recently scheduled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has been a vocal supporter of the US military presence and the deadly strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Venezuela.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said in a statement that the exercises seek to “address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.”
The visit comes one week after the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago warned Americans to stay away from US government facilities there. Local authorities said a reported threat against Americans prompted the warning.
Many people in Trinidad and Tobago criticize the warship’s docking in town.
At a recent demonstration outside the US Embassy, David Abdulah, the leader of the Movement for Social Justice political party, said Trinidad and Tobago should not have allowed the warship into its waters.
“This is a warship in Trinidad, which will be anchored here for several days just miles off Venezuela when there’s a threat of war,” said Abdulah, who is also the leader of the Movement for Social Justice political party. “That’s an abomination.”
Caricom, a regional trade bloc made up of 15 Caribbean countries, has called for dialogue. Trinidad and Tobago is a member of the group, but Persad-Bissessar has said the region is not a zone of peace, citing the number of murders and other violent crimes.

KATMANDU: Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki expanded on Sunday her interim cabinet which was formed in the wake of youth-led uprising last month, inducting two ministers seen as popular among young people.
The unrest on September 8-9 was triggered by a brief ban on social media but fueled by long-standing frustration over economic hardship and corruption.
Violence during the protests, which led to the collapse of the previous government, killed at least 73 people and left parliament, courts and government buildings in flames.
On Sunday, officials said President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office to the new members of Karki’s government: Youth and Sports Minister Bablu Gupta, and Sudha Sharma, who was made minister of health and population.
Gupta, 28, is known for his work with a volunteer organization called 100’s Group which supports underprivileged communities through food drives and education programs.
Sharma, a doctor by profession, is also an author known for her leadership in maternal and child health policy.
Both supported the youth-led protests as they unfolded last month.
Karki’s press coordinator Ram Rawal said on Sunday that the interim prime minister had recommended two additional names for the 10-member cabinet, but that the appointments were put on hold pending consultations.
A source at the president’s office said that the cabinet expansion is still incomplete as talks continue with youth representatives.
Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, took the helm following the protests to steer the Himalayan nation until elections on March 5.
She has pledged to restore order and address calls for clean governance in the country of 30 million.