“The disregard for the sovereignty of independent nations cannot be accepted as a reasonable measure in the name of border security,” the Antilles Episcopal Conference wrote in a statement released to the press on Oct. 25. 

Bishops from across the Caribbean and coastal portions of Central and South America expressed “grave concern” about “the recent build-up of [U.S.] naval and other military assets in the Southern Caribbean, and the potential implications this poses for the socio-economic, political, and humanitarian well-being of our region and its people.”

The statement follows the largest military buildup in the Caribbean in decades. About 10,000 U.S. troops had been deployed to the region by mid-October, and the Trump administration authorized at least 10 lethal strikes in September and October on civilian watercraft it alleged were engaged in drug trafficking. On Oct. 24, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean.

“The presence of warships and the disruption of marine livelihoods within our Caribbean waters represent real and immediate threats to regional stability and to the welfare of our nations,” the region’s bishops said. “As peoples united by a shared heritage and collective identity, we must continue to reject aggression and intimidation as means of resolving conflict or ideological differences.”

While granting the right of nations to protect their borders and to address the crisis created by the narcotics trade, the bishops firmly rejected the Trump administration’s tactics. “To those entrusted with leadership, we appeal for a de-escalation of militarisation and a renewed commitment to dialogue and regional unity,” the bishops wrote.

The statement strongly affirmed the sovereignty and independence of the A.E.C.’s constituent nations as key to any lasting security solutions in the region. The bishops said that, in enforcing borders and eliminating the narcotics trades, “respect for law” and “the dignity of human life” are nonnegotiable.

Abstract concerns about national sovereignty were not the bishops’ only motivation for speaking out. The Wall Street Journal reported that fishermen in Trinidad and Tobago have stayed close to shore—or stopped going out to sea altogether—because of fear of U.S. military activity in the region. The BBC reported that fishermen in Venezuela are similarly afraid to engage in their livelihood.

Against that backdrop of fear and uncertainty, the bishops turned their message for Catholics in the region toward faith. “We call for renewed focus on faith and trust in the Lord,” the bishops wrote. “We are attentive to the voices and expressed concerns of our people and urge that we be guided by the teachings of Scripture. We are commanded to love one another—even our enemies.”

“The world may be at war, but we are called to pray for peace and to act in peace.”

The statement was released as another threat to the region loomed on Oct. 27. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Melissa, now at Category 5 strength, will make landfall on Jamaica tonight with “catastrophic and life-threatening winds, flooding, and storm surge.”

Catholic Relief Services reports that its teams in Jamaica and Haiti are preparing to respond to the storm. According to C.R.S.: “Jamaica looks to be the epicenter for the worst of Melissa’s triple threat of extreme rainfall flooding, wind damage and storm surge. In Haiti, the limited availability of functioning health facilities, combined with ongoing cholera outbreaks, raises concerns about any disruption to water and sanitation services.”

C.R.S. adds: “Widespread insecurity and poor logistical infrastructure are likely to significantly worsen the impacts of the storm. Urgent needs will be for safe shelter, clean water, food and essential hygiene supplies.”

Edward Desciak is an O'Hare Fellow at America Media.