Dominica's President Calls on the US to Stop Bullying Countries into Submission

Dominica’s President Sylvanie Burton has severely criticized the United States policy towards Venezuela, calling for President Trump to stop attempting to bully smaller countries into submission. 

“Instead of moving to each other’s countries because we are smaller than you and you are more equipped than us and bullying us into submission. And so for us in the Caribbean we are calling on the US to cease that aggression against Venezuela,” Burton stated. 

The President made the remarks to the China Media Group indirectly accusing the Trump Administration of attempting to remove the Maduro government stating: “Every government must be respected. Our appeal to the US is to let there be discussions, let us sit at the table instead of having wars. Instead of trying to remove governments in power.”

“I think the entire Latin America and the Caribbean is singing one voice and we can only hope that the US will listen and will respect Venezuela’s sovereignty,” she said.

Just last week, the United States announced a partial ban for Dominican citizens wishing to travel to that country beginning in January 2026. It said the decision was based on the country’s failure to adopt a residency criterion for persons wishing to access passports under the country’s Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Program.

It also comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Region where the United Staes has put in place a naval blockade on oil coming from Venezuela. This has been enforced by the presence of US naval and military assets around the country, and the seizure of at least four oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast.

The United States have also accused Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro of drug trafficking and targeted several alleged drug smuggling boats killing over a hundred persons over the past few weeks.