LatinNews Daily - 16 December 2025

*The European Council (EC) has announced that it will extend by a further year its existing sanctions on Venezuela, which are now due to run until 10 January 2027. An EC statement said that “this decision was taken in light of the persistent actions undermining democracy and the rule of law, as well as continued human rights violations and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, including in relation to the conduct of and developments following the presidential elections of 28 July 2024”. Currently, 69 individuals are blacklisted under the European sanctions, and are subject to asset freezes, restrictions on receiving funds, and travel bans. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s government announced yesterday that it was terminating contracts to export gas to Trinidad & Tobago, accusing the country of participating in the seizure by the US of a tanker transporting Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean on 10 December. Trinidad & Tobago has been one of the leading backers of the US military campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific, which has prompted speculation about possible US military intervention within Venezuela. Yesterday, Trinidad’s foreign ministry announced that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s government has “granted approvals for United States military aircraft to transit Trinidad & Tobago’s airports in the coming weeks”. It added that “the United States has advised that these movements are logistical in nature, facilitating supply replenishment and routine personnel rotations”.

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