Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has made it clear that Trinidad and Tobago stands in solidarity with Venezuela.
She was speaking with the media at the Diplomatic Centre, after the inauguration of the Artificial Limb Fitment Camp on Friday.
“What I’m pushing and really pushing hard is against the criminals, the narco-traffickers, the human traffickers, the gun runners, it’s the criminals. We have nothing against the people of Venezuela. I have repeatedly said we stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.”
The Prime Minister responded to questions regarding her recent meeting with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the OFAC licence to operate the Dragon Gas Deal.
“He said that he had approved, he had approved the OFAC license. I think we both understood the urgency of the matter. So that is one-step in a two-step process that we have to go through. The second step would be our license with Venezuela.”
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar has made it clear that Trinidad and Tobago will continue to work with Venezuela.
“I am told that we had a 30-year license from Venezuela, but given all that has transpired, we will have some more negotiations with Venezuela. Shell is involved in that project and, indeed, I’m meeting Mr. Lomax from Shell in a short while to see what progress they have made. Before this happened with the United States, Shell had gone to Venezuela. They had discussions with Madame Delcy about the license. And I want to get updates from him as well, because Shell will have to speak with officials in Venezuela.”
The Prime Minister said she is yet to officially reach out to Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro but will do so in the near future.
She said, however, she is still in support of the US intervention.
“In fact, since that has happened, you would have seen that the amount of murders in my own country has fallen in numbers. That might be partly because of that and the other part would be, of course, the State of Emergency that we have in place, which has not disrupted lives, except for the lives of criminals. I myself, yes, I remain in support of the US intervention in the region. Criminals are criminals. We have to wipe out criminals, as I say. Violently, I had said.”
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar also noted that a Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to Venezuela will soon be appointed.