Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday after an American warship docked in the Caribbean nation's capital as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighboring Venezuela.

The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the U.S government to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.

Many people in Trinidad and Tobago criticized the warship’s docking in town.

"So, we do not wish for war, but if there is a military strike on Venezuela, if there's an attempt at regime change in any form or fashion, then I am saying that we the people will have to come out in Trinidad and Tobago in very, very large numbers," said David Abdulah, a former government senator and leader of the Movement for Social Justice party.

Abeo Jackson, an activist, said the sovereignty of Caribbean nations were "not for sale."

"Caribbean lives are not collateral damage," Jackson said. "Peace, true peace, must never be bartered for power."

Government officials from the twin-island nation and the U.S. said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises.

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.

AP video shot by: Anselm Gibbs