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ARCHBISHOP Charles Jason Gordon has kicked off 2026 by condemning the US military action in the Caribbean, calling for unity among the region's leaders against it, as the poor would suffer the most from any resulting conflict.

In a release made as head of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC), which Kirk Jean-Baptiste read during the New Year's service at Our Lady of Perpetual Hope in San Fernando, Gordon expressed deep concern over the Caribbean Sea becoming a "theatre for confrontation not of our making."

Citing some 35 airstrikes which have killed over 100 people at sea, the seizing of an oil tanker and airspace restrictions as part of a military blockade of Venezuela, Gordon said the military action elevates the risk to innocent lives and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the South American country. Furthermore, he said the actions strain maritime commerce, tourism, and the welfare of thousands whose livelihoods depend on safe and open seas.