In Saint Lucia, the concern has sparked an unexpected show of solidarity, as local fishermen join others across the region in signing a petition calling for peace and stability in Venezuela.

The petition, which has begun circulating in coastal communities, forms part of a broader regional effort to defend what participants describe as “the right to fish without fear.” According to Trevor Heath, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Saint Lucia–Venezuela Association, fishermen in Venezuela have become targets of unfair assumptions and violence.

“They’re doing the fisheries because the fishermen in Venezuela are under pressure,” Heath explained. “They can’t even go out to fish because the Western press has said that any fishers are considered drug dealers. So we’re looking for signatures and for as many people in Saint Lucia as possible to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people.”

The call for peace comes amid renewed geopolitical tension between Washington and Caracas, following reports of U.S. interest in establishing a military base in Grenada, less than 600 miles from the Venezuelan coast. Venezuelan authorities have condemned the move as a provocation that threatens regional stability.

Venezuelan Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Her Excellency Leiff Escalona, described the petition as a grassroots response to “the threats we are living under in the Caribbean.”

She said Caribbean fishermen have united “to establish one voice” against escalating hostilities and to protect their way of life.

“They have the right to continue their job on the seas and they don’t want to feel any threat from the United States,” Ambassador Escalona said. “The people are very organized at different levels organizations, associations, cooperatives in different countries; all trying to preserve peace in our Caribbean Sea.”

Despite the tension, the Ambassador reaffirmed her government’s commitment to diplomacy.

“We never stop. We want to continue with our diplomacy and find different ways to re-establish dialogue with the United States,” she said.

“This situation will affect the entire region, and we want to prevent that. The people of Venezuela are very organized in that matter, and we will continue to work for peace.”

As tensions mount, regional observers say the petition represents not only a call for peace but also a reminder of how deeply intertwined the livelihoods of Caribbean people are with the politics of the hemisphere.