T&T Prime Minister: ‘We don’t need Venezuelan gas’

AMID the Venezuelan government’s proposal on October 27 to suspend all gas ties with Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defiantly declared that TT does not need Venezuelan gas, and never did.

“Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has,” she told Newsday via WhatsApp. “We have our plans and projects to grow our economy both within the energy and non-energy sectors.”

Persad-Bissessar said unlike the previous administration, the government has not placed all its eggs in one basket.

“The last PNM government mistakenly placed all their hopes in the Dragon project – we have not done so.

“Therefore, we are not susceptible to any blackmail from the Venezuelans for political support. We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.”

Newsday asked whether tensions between TT and Venezuela can be de-escalated through dialogue and if it were possible, would she take the lead in those conversations.

She responded: “There are no tensions. We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.”

Persad-Bissessar’s statements come after Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez made the announcement of cutting energy ties with TT.

In a speech televised on Telesur, Rodríguez said: “Following the aggressive actions of TT being complicit with the United States military actions in the Caribbean, the board of oil industry of Venezuela has proposed to the head of state, Nicolas Maduro, to immediately denounce and suspend all gas co-operation agreements that exist between the two countries, Venezuela and TT.” (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)