BRIDGETOWN – Venezuela and Barbados have signed a new strategic cooperation agreement aimed at boosting food production, trade and maritime connectivity, with Barbados positioned as a regional logistics hub for Venezuelan agricultural exports to the Caribbean and Africa.
The agreement was formalized during a visit by Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez to Barbados, where she held talks with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Delcy Rodriguez and Mia Mottley signing the agreement
According to Venezuelan officials, the agreement includes cooperation in food production, energy and tourism, with one of the key components allowing Barbados to use Venezuelan agricultural land to help produce food for export markets.
Rodríguez said the goal is to create a new regional export corridor linking South America, the Caribbean and Africa, using Barbados’ strategic Atlantic position as a distribution point.
The plan also includes restoring maritime connections for cargo and passenger transport, which both governments say will strengthen trade logistics and regional mobility.
In addition to food cooperation, the two sides discussed expanding tourism packages, increasing air connectivity and energy collaboration, including oil, gas and renewable energy.
Barbados has shown interest in investing in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector as Caracas seeks to attract regional investment following reforms to open parts of its energy sector to outside participation.
Prime Minister Mottley described the cooperation as an opportunity to strengthen Barbados’ food and energy security while diversifying trade relationships in the region.
The agreement comes at a time when Caribbean governments are increasingly focused on reducing dependence on imported food and improving regional food security, especially after years of supply chain disruptions and rising global food prices.
It also reflects Venezuela’s renewed push to strengthen ties within CARICOM, positioning itself once again as an active regional economic player.
Regional observers note that the agreement could shift some trade dynamics in the Caribbean, particularly in the food supply chain, where larger regional importers and distributors have traditionally played dominant roles.
For the southern Caribbean, including Curaçao, closer Barbados-Venezuela cooperation could reshape food distribution patterns and regional maritime trade routes in the years ahead.