Passenger traffic between Trinidad and Venezuela via the Port of Cedros is on the decline, according to travel agents and operators who ply the route.
What was once a bustling link across the Serpent’s Mouth (Columbus Channel) now sees fewer vessels and reduced numbers aboard them, as tensions simmer between T&T and Venezuela.
Only two vessels currently operate from Tucupita, Venezuela to the Cedros port, with agents reporting that neither vessel is running at full capacity.
“We used to make two trips a week, sometimes more. But now, it’s down to just two boats—and we’re not even filling them,” said Alana Medina, manager of Angel Del Orinoco, a passenger ferry that carries up to 35 passengers.
“Today we have 27 passengers, mostly Venezuelans and Trinidadians. Normally, we’d see up to 34 or more,” Medina revealed.
However, she said the decline started long before Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the statement that consideration would be given for the T&T Coast Guard to use deadly force on any unidentified vessel entering Trinidad’s waters from Venezuela.
Speaking to Guardian Media, Cherry George, a Venezuelan from Caracas who has lived in Trinidad for 50 years, shared his routine journey back home.
“I go to Venezuela to spend time with my family. It takes about three and a half hours to reach and costs around $2,500 return.”
He acknowledged there was growing concern over the recent developments between T&T and Venezuela.
“My family is worried, yes. They are concerned. Venezuelans don’t like what was said,” George said.
Another travel agent, Rakesh Albert, noted that while some confusion arose from the Prime Minister’s remarks, the real issue stemmed from broader economic conditions.
“To enter here legally, you need a passport and visa. So, the Prime Minister’s comments shouldn’t affect us. But yes, some people don’t fully understand what was said, and that causes worry,” Albert explained.
He added: “Everything we do here is legal. Customs, immigration—it’s all above board.”
Albert also highlighted the need for reforms to encourage legal travel.
“If they could allow entry with just a passport, it would make things easier. We need to boost tourism and trade on both sides. More vessels, maybe a boardwalk or proper port development—something to make this viable long-term.”
Meanwhile, Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh confirmed the slowdown in traffic and the challenges of balancing migration with national security.
“The port continues to operate, but the migrant population has dwindled. The demand on the community isn’t what it used to be,” he said. “There’s an ongoing effort by national security to monitor illegal entry points. “Meanwhile, we need to maintain proper documentation of those who come in legally,” he explained.
He said that both Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge were addressing the situation. Guardian Media reached out to Sturge, and we are awaiting his response.
Last month Venezuela’s Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello, speaking during his television programme Con El Mazo Dando, alleged that a Trinidadian identified as Gis Kendel Jheron was part of a “terrorist group” attempting to enter Venezuela through Trinidad and Tobago.
He confirmed Jheron was currently detained under “close protection” with “respect for his human rights.”
In response, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar swiftly dismissed the claims, with the Ministry of Homeland Security and the Ministry of Defence both stating that there was no evidence to support the allegations. Persad-Bissessar also called on the Coast Guard to use “deadly force” against any unidentified vessel that entered T&T waters from Venezuela.
Cabello denied the existence of any plan to invade the waters of the Caribbean country.
He argued that Caracas’s real concern lies in the alleged entry of a “terrorist” group from Trinidad and Tobago, which his regime blamed for smuggling weapons into Venezuela. Fishermen who identified Jheron as a resident of Otaheite said he moved out of Trinidad two years ago and has been living in Venezuela since 2023.