Venezuela terminates gas supply agreements with Trinidad and Tobago amid escalating tensions over US military presence and oil tanker seizure

The Venezuelan government has officially ended all contracts and negotiations related to the supply of natural gas to Trinidad and Tobago, citing the Caribbean neighbor’s alleged complicity in the recent US-led seizure of the oil tanker ‘Skipper’ carrying 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude. The announcement came five days after US President Donald Trump revealed the interdiction of the vessel, which was operating under a false flag and had prior links to Iranian oil smuggling, according to a US court order. Caracas condemned the interception as an act of piracy and a violation of international law and principles governing free navigation and trade. Venezuelan Vice President and Minister of Hydrocarbons, Delcy Rodríguez, accused Trinidad and Tobago’s government, particularly Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, of orchestrating a hostile agenda against Venezuela since assuming office in May 2025. The Venezuelan administration labeled the installation of US military radars on Trinidad and Tobago’s territory and permission for US military aircraft to transit through the country as evidence of the island’s role as a US military outpost aimed at undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty. This military cooperation, alongside the seizure of the ‘Skipper,’ prompted Caracas to fully revoke the 2015 Energy Cooperation Framework Agreement, which included joint exploration and development of shared hydrocarbon fields such as the Dragon Field. The agreement had been automatically renewed earlier in the year but was previously suspended by President Nicolás Maduro in late October following the arrival of a US warship in Trinidad and Tobago for joint exercises. The termination of gas supply agreements affects Trinidad and Tobago’s energy plans and broader regional energy projects and represents a significant deterioration in bilateral relations previously characterized by cooperation. The Venezuelan government emphasized that it would not tolerate what it terms colonial aggression and encroachments on its strategic resources. Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago maintains that US military support targets transnational crime and denies intentions to provoke tensions with Venezuela. The ongoing US naval deployment and regional anti-narcotics operations have intensified geopolitical frictions in the southern Caribbean, complicating energy diplomacy. Venezuela continues to face US sanctions on oil exports since 2019, which have forced it to reroute crude sales to black markets at discounted prices, primarily targeting Asian buyers. The state oil company PDVSA also reported recent cyberattacks aimed at disrupting administrative operations, attributing these to foreign hostile interests seeking to appropriate Venezuelan oil assets. The decision to sever gas supply ties further constrains Venezuela’s regional energy engagement amid mounting external pressures.