From State Senator Herron Gaston:
When powerful nations treat international law as optional, smaller states feel the consequences first. The Trump administration’s posture toward Venezuela—marked by threats of force, sweeping sanctions, and open talk of regime change—crossed a dangerous line. Even without a formal declaration of war, such actions undermine the core principles of international law and erode the sovereignty of Caribbean nations caught in the crossfire.
At the heart of the international system is a simple rule: states may not use or threaten force to settle political disputes. The United Nations Charter enshrines this principle to prevent exactly the kind of coercive diplomacy that destabilizes regions. Public statements hinting at military action, support for extra-constitutional changes of government, and economic measures designed to force political outcomes amount to pressure that violates the spirit—if not always the letter—of that rule.
The Caribbean knows too well what happens when great-power rivalries play out nearby. Broad sanctions and aggressive posturing don’t stay neatly contained within borders. They disrupt trade routes, strain energy supplies, and trigger migration flows that small island states are least equipped to absorb. When naval deployments increase or airspace becomes politicized, Caribbean nations face heightened security risks without having any say in the decisions that created them.
Sovereignty is not a privilege reserved for the powerful. It is a right owed equally to all states, whether they are continental giants or island nations. Policies that pressure neighbors to align with intervention—by hosting assets, enforcing unilateral sanctions, or providing logistical support—put Caribbean governments in an impossible position: comply and compromise their independence, or resist and risk retaliation.
Critics will argue that extraordinary measures are justified by extraordinary circumstances inside Venezuela. But international law was built precisely to restrain that logic. Humanitarian concerns do not grant a blank check for coercion or regime change. History shows that interventions framed as moral imperatives often deepen suffering and prolong instability.
A safer, more lawful path exists. It starts with diplomacy, regional dialogue, and respect for multilateral processes. Caribbean nations should not be treated as staging grounds or collateral damage in a geopolitical contest. Their voices—and their sovereignty—matter.
If international law is to mean anything, it must apply even when it is inconvenient. Threats against Venezuela, and the pressure they place on the Caribbean, remind us that defending the rule of law is not abstract. It is about protecting real countries, real people, and a region’s right to chart its own future without fear.
Why not spend more energy & effort worrying about Bridgeport & CT?
Denis, I’m answering your question for Senator Gaston: Because, he can do both.
Lennie, where’s the Two-thumbs-up button?
Senator Gaston the last time I checked, Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean. It’s funny how the so called leaders in Puerto Rico the last standing U.S. Colony more than welcomed Donald Paper Towel Trump and assisted him in violating Internatinal law. Puerto Rico is a cesspool of Political corruption and Governor Jennifer Gonzalez is no exemption. In fact, activists and her critics can forget about the Justice Department Investigations of JGO. I’m with you on your sentiments as far as U.S. violation of International law. If ever, the people of Puerto Rico remove their so called leaders by force, just remember you set the precedent. And if Venezuela decides to suspend the licenses of any company or countries (Trinadad and Tobago) selling Gasoline or Natural Gas to the U.S. Colony of Puert Rico, YOUU HAD IT COMING!