Caption: Scott Hansen
Summary
- US Embassy official Scott Hansen said T&T could benefit economically from the evolving situation in Venezuela;
- He described T&T as the US “partner of choice” for doing business linked to Venezuela, including navigating OFAC licences;
- Hansen said new opportunities could emerge in energy and investment, including plans for special economic zones and activity at Point Lisas;
- He highlighted a reported drop in murders in 2025 during the State of Emergency and urged marketing T&T as safer; and
- He said US engagement with T&T on security and regional matters remains strong and ongoing
By Prior Beharry
TRINIDAD and Tobago is poised to reap the benefits of its relationship with the United States, given the situation in Venezuela.
This was stated by Economic and Political Chief of the US Embassy in Port of Spain, Scott Hansen, on Thursday evening.
Speaking at a function at the Flagstaff Hill Residence of the US Embassy hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM), Hansen said: “(The year) 2026 is going to be a tough year no matter what. But I am here to tell you that there is abundance on the horizon. I don’t need to tell anyone here that, for decades, living next to the volatility of your next-door neighbour, it is never premature to wash our hands and say, ‘Mission accomplished.’”
Hansen said Trinidad and Tobago was the place to look for help in obtaining an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licence, and that the situation in Venezuela would open up many opportunities for Trinidadian businesspeople. He said T&T was also the US partner of choice for doing business in Venezuela.
Present at the event were Speaker of the House Jagdeo Singh; Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen; Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence Dominic Smith; Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe; Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Alexander; Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of CARICOM and Foreign Affairs Nicholas Morris; AMCHAM President Anna Henderson; and AMCHAM CEO Nirad Tewarie.
Hansen also mentioned the reduction in murders in 2025 after the State of Emergency was implemented.
He said: “There is still a long way to go. Both in Trinidad and Tobago and the United States there has been a significant decrease in murders. In the United States, we had a 20% decline, which pales in comparison to 40% in T&T, which is really extraordinary.”
Hansen added: “If this continues, we would find ourselves in a very different country years from now, and we wish the Government tremendous luck as the State of Emergency ends and we transition into what is next. You can certainly count on the United States to remain fully engaged in helping with both your domestic and national security.”
He continued: “I see reason to have hope because of that, and I hope that is something you should market to the world—that T&T is getting safer. That is something we should take to heart.”
Energy sector
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has supported the US military presence in the region and the installation of a radar in Tobago. On January 3, the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took him to face charges in New York.
After US strikes on alleged boats carrying narco-traffickers, Persad-Bissessar remarked that they should be killed violently.
The situation in Venezuela now allows for “extraordinary opportunities,” Hansen said.
“I think we can all agree that there are suddenly some very extraordinary opportunities available for the business community, and T&T has perfectly placed itself to be the US partner of choice for working in Venezuela,” he said.
“So the (US) Government, I know, has plans to develop some special economic zones to try to attract more investment—companies that could potentially use T&T as a stepping stone for their operations in Venezuela, which would decrease the political risk of trying to set up shop directly there.”
“…with the gas industry, we know that Exxon (Mobil) is here, and I don’t have to tell you, T&T, to position itself for the downstream industry. There are some very big gas plays, and we have companies that come to us from around the world and ask what it takes to get an OFAC licence nowadays. I think the simplest and clearest answer is: partner with Trinidad and Tobago. That’s what sells it in Washington—that partnership and that role that you bring.” (Applause.)
‘T&T on US Lips’
He said T&T was rarely mentioned by US officials before the situation in Venezuela.
Hansen added: “Now, almost every time (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio speaks publicly, he’s talking about T&T.”
He said there was also great potential for the industrial estate at Point Lisas.
“I see great abundance in T&T’s future in the energy sector. I think Point Lisas is going to be fine—it’s going to be thriving. I think all your downstream sectors, and upstream too, you have a lot to look forward to,” he said.
“Maybe not in 2026, because these things take time, obviously, but it’s coming—even back to the heydays.”
He stressed the close relationship with T&T.
“We will always have a good relationship with T&T because we’re friends. We have shared history; we have shared culture. You guys have some of the best food in the world. You have soca (music)—there are so many reasons… We will always prioritise T&T,” Hansen said.
“But this is a historic moment of alignment. Never in my career have I experienced the lockstep alignment that we currently enjoy with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. It is extraordinary, and I think it will pay dividends that will affect everybody here—whether it is cooperation in the energy sector, cooperation in the commercial area through these new SEZs, cooperation on national security. We have all kinds of resources coming for partnership capacity… and cooperation on civilian security.”
“We have some military assets positioned in the region. We don’t know how much longer they will be in the region. They have already moved away, but our commitment to T&T’s national security remains unchanged—and will never change.”
