LatinNews Daily - 27 November 2025

*The Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader has announced that he has authorised the US government led by President Donald Trump to operate inside restricted areas in national territory as part of anti-drug trafficking efforts. The announcement represents among the first major public agreements that Washington has reached with a Caribbean country amid its declared fight against drug trafficking in the region, which Venezuela claims could be used as cover for an invasion to deliver regime change in Caracas. Abinader’s announcement followed a meeting in Santo Domingo with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. While the US embassy said only that the two had discussed “regional security and cooperation” between the two countries, Abinader was cited by the media as saying that for a limited time the US can refuel aircraft and transport equipment and technical personnel at restricted areas within San Isidro Air Base, the main base for the Dominican air force, and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo. A statement by Abinader’s office said that for a limited time, “various KC-135 tanker aircraft would be present to support air patrol missions, expanding monitoring and interdiction capabilities over a large portion of the maritime and air domains”. They will also provide “refueling services to aircraft from partner countries, thus ensuring sustained operations for monitoring, detecting, and tracking verified illicit smuggling activities”. The statement adds that “C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft will facilitate aeromedical evacuations, firefighting, weather reconnaissance, and disaster relief”. The previous day, on 25 November, the US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Dan Caine, met with Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to “discuss shared priorities for regional security and stability”. Persad-Bissessar, who has strongly backed the US military action, has previously denied that Washington had requested the use of her country to launch an attack against Venezuela.

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