Venezuela suspends energy agreements with Trinidad after US warship arrives at island nation

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela on Monday suspended energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, over what officials have described as “hostile” actions by the island nation.

Trinidad is now hosting one of the U.S. warships involved in a controversial campaign to destroy Venezuelan speedboats allegedly carrying drugs to the United States.

During his weekly television show on Monday night, President Nicolas Maduro accused Trinidad of acting as the “aircraft carrier of the U.S. empire” and said that he was left with no choice but to pull out of treaties signed with Trinidad ten years ago.

The announcement came hours after the nation's vice president, who is also Venezuela's minister of hydrocarbons, had suggested the agreements should be cancelled.

On Sunday, the USS Gravely, a destroyer fitted with guided missiles, arrived in Trinidad to conduct joint exercises with Trinidad’s navy.

Venezuelan authorities described Trinidad’s decision to host the ship as a provocation, while Trinidad’s government has said that joint exercises with the U.S. happen regularly.

“The prime minister of Trinidad has decided to join the war mongering agenda of the United States,” Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on national television.

In text messages to The Associated Press, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was not concerned over the potential cancellation of the energy agreements, adding that the military training exercises were exclusively for “internal security” purposes.

“Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has," Persad-Bissessar wrote. “We have our plans and projects to grow our economy both within the energy and non-energy sectors.”

Rodríguez, who is also Venezuela’s minister of hydrocarbons, said she petitioned President Maduro to withdraw from a 2015 agreement that enables neighboring countries to carry out joint natural gas exploration projects in the waters between both nations. Trinidad and Venezuela are separated by a small bay that is just 7 miles (11 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point.

Unlike other leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean who have compared strikes on alleged drug vessels to extrajudicial killings, Persad-Bissessar has supported the campaign. She has said she’d rather see drug traffickers “blown to pieces” than have them kill the citizens of her nation.

“I am tired of seeing our citizens murdered and terrorized because of gang violence driven by illegal drugs and arms trafficking," she told AP.

Trinidad, which has a population of about 1.4 million people, is sometimes used by smugglers to store and sort drugs before shipping them to Europe and North America.

Venezuela’s government has described the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean as a threat, with government officials there claiming the deployment of U.S. warships to the region is part of an effort to overthrow Maduro, who has been widely accused of stealing last year's election.

Tensions between Venezuela and the United States escalated last week as the Trump administration announced it would be deploying its largest aircraft carrier to the southern Caribbean, complementing a flotilla that already includes eight warships, a submarine, drones and fighter jets.

The Trump administration has launched 10 strikes against alleged drug carrying vessels since September, when it first deployed ships to the southern Caribbean. At least 43 people have been killed in the controversial attacks.

Anselm Gibbs in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The USS Gravely destroyer arrives to dock for military exercises in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Taylor)

Gabriel Cabrera, president of the Venezuelan Youth Center for Democracy, gives a statement outside of the U.S. embassy with members of the organization holding signs against U.S. intervention, in reference to U.S. warships operating in the Caribbean, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Gabriel Cabrera, president of the Venezuelan Youth Center for Democracy, gives a statement outside of the U.S. embassy with members of the organization holding signs that read in Spanish "Intervention is not the solution," in reference to U.S. warships operating in the Caribbean, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Gabriel Cabrera, president of the Venezuelan Youth Center for Democracy, gives a statement outside of the U.S. embassy with members of the organization holding signs that read in Spanish "Intervention is not the solution," in reference to U.S. warships operating in the Caribbean, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Security officers stand behind the main gate of the United States embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s presidential election was plagued by widespread delays Thursday in addition to a days-long internet shutdown that has been criticized as an anti-democratic tactic in a country where the president has held office since 1986.

Some polling stations remained closed for up to four hours after the scheduled 7 a.m. start time due to “technical challenges," according to the nation's electoral commission, which asked polling officers to use paper registration records to ensure the difficulties did not “disenfranchise any voter.”

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, faces seven other candidates, including Robert Kyagulanyi, a musician-turned-politician best known as Bobi Wine, who is calling for political change.

The East African country of roughly 45 million people has 21.6 million registered voters. Polls were expected to close at 4 p.m., but voting was extended one hour until 5 p.m. local time. Results are constitutionally required to be announced in 48 hours.

In the morning, impatient crowds gathered outside polling stations expressing concerns over the delays. Umaru Mutyaba, a polling agent for a parliamentary candidate, said it was “frustrating” to be waiting outside a station in the capital Kampala.

“We can’t be standing here waiting to vote as if we have nothing else to do," he said.

Wine, the candidate, alleged electoral fraud, noting that biometric voter identification machines were not working at polling places and claiming that there was “ballot stuffing.”

Wine wrote in a post on X that his party's leaders had been arrested. “Many of our polling agents and supervisors abducted, and others chased off polling stations,” the post said.

Museveni told journalists he was notified that biometric machines weren't working at some stations and that he supported the electoral body's decision to revert to paper registration records. He did not comment on allegations of fraud.

Ssemujju Nganda, a prominent opposition figure and lawmaker seeking reelection in Kira municipality, told The Associated Press he had been waiting in line to vote for three hours.

Nganda said the delays likely would lead to apathy and low turnout in urban areas where the opposition has substantial support. "It’s going to be chaos,” he said.

Nicholas Sengoba, an independent analyst and newspaper columnist, said delays to the start of voting in urban, opposition areas favored the ruling party.

Emmanuel Tusiime, a young man who was among dozens prevented from entering a polling station in Kampala past closing time said the officials had prevented him from participating.

“My vote has not been counted, and, as you can see, I am not alone," he said he was left feeling “very disappointed.”

Uganda has not witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from British colonial rule six decades ago.

Museveni has served the third-longest term of any African leader and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. The aging president’s authority has become increasingly dependent on the military led by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Museveni and Wine are reprising their rivalry from the previous election in 2021, when Wine appealed to mostly young people in urban areas. With voter turnout of 59%, Wine secured 35% of the ballots against Museveni’s 58%, the president’s smallest vote share since his first electoral campaign three decades ago.

The lead-up to Thursday's election produced concerns about transparency, the possibility of hereditary rule, military interference and possible vote tampering.

Uganda's internet was shut down Tuesday by the government communications agency, which cited misinformation, electoral fraud and incitement of violence. The shutdown has affected the public and disrupted critical sectors such as banking.

There has been heavy security leading up to voting, including military units deployed on the streets this week.

Amnesty International said security forces are engaging in a “brutal campaign of repression,” citing a Nov. 28 opposition rally in eastern Uganda where the military blocked exits and opened fire on supporters, killing one person.

Museveni urged voters to come out in large numbers during his final rally Tuesday.

“You go and vote, anybody who tries to interfere with your freedom will be crushed. I am telling you this. We are ready to put an end to this indiscipline,” he said.

The national electoral commission chairperson, Simon Byabakama, urged tolerance among Ugandans as they vote.

“Let us keep the peace that we have,” Byabakama said late Wednesday. “Let us be civil. Let us be courteous. Let’s be tolerant. Even if you know that this person does not support (your) candidate, please give him or her room or opportunity to go and exercise his or her constitutional right."

Authorities also suspended the activities of several civic groups during the campaign season. That Group, a prominent media watchdog, closed its office Wednesday after the interior ministry alleged in a letter that the group was involved in activities “prejudicial to the security and laws of Uganda.”

Veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, remains in prison after he was charged with treason in February 2025.

Uganda opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, right, greets election observers, including former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, at his home in Magere village on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Billboards of Uganda President and National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni are seen in Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Samson Otieno)

Electoral workers deliver ballot boxes to a polling station during presidential election in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Voters are reflected in a police officer's sunglasses as they wait in line after voting failed to start on time due to system failures during presidential election in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during the presidential election in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)