Relationship dossier
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Maritime and energy cooperation alongside strains over migration and energy exploration
Trinidad and Tobago toward Venezuela
+25Trinidad and Tobago concluded a maritime boundary agreement with Venezuela and pursued cross-border natural-gas cooperation, including a 2023 agreement concerning development of the Dragon gas field.
Venezuela toward Trinidad and Tobago
+25Venezuela concluded a maritime boundary agreement with Trinidad and Tobago and entered a 2023 agreement concerning development of the Dragon gas field. Energy exploration has also been a source of bilateral strain.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship has a durable legal basis for maritime cooperation and concrete shared interests in cross-border gas development. These cooperative arrangements coexist with strains involving migration and energy exploration, making the overall relationship mixed rather than a close partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela have a durable framework for maritime cooperation and have pursued cross-border natural-gas development. Their relationship has also faced strains connected with migration and energy exploration. The known cooperation is concrete but does not establish an exceptionally close partnership.
Areas of tension
- Disputes and diplomatic strain connected with Venezuelan migration to Trinidad and Tobago.
- Tensions over energy exploration and the development of cross-border gas resources.
Key developments
Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela concluded a maritime boundary agreement.
The governments agreed to cooperate on development of Venezuela's Dragon gas field.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of recent cross-border gas development arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing government cooperation on migration and maritime security is unclear.