By Sue-Ann Wayow

DOES Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recognise Delcy Rodríguez as the Acting President of Venezuela?

This question is being asked by Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West Stuart Young.

The question was important he said now that the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) General Licences have been granted.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Young had four questions for the prime minister adding that she should not take credit for what the previous administration tried to build for the decade before her government took over.

He asked:

1. Is the Kamla Persad Bissessar government having any direct discussions and negotiations with the acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez as the Dragon field is owned by Venezuela as are Cocuina and Loran?

2. Does Kamla Persad Bissessar recognise Delcy Rodríguez as the acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela?

3. Has Kamla Persad Bissessar left any and all discussions and/ or negotiations with Venezuela up to BP and Shell, and if so, what does that mean for the people of Trinidad and Tobago?

4. Is the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela willing to still export Venezuelan gas to Trinidad and Tobago after the behaviour of Kamla Persad Bissessar and her government towards them over the past ten years?

Young stated, “The 30 Exploration and Production Licence that we negotiated with Venezuela for the Dragon Gas Field which was signed in December 2023 and the 20 Exploration and Production Licence that we negotiated with Venezuela for the Cocuina Gas Field which was signed in June 2024 both have specific terms and conditions that would require alignment with the OFAC conditions as per General License No 50 this requires negotiations with Venezuela.”

He added, “It has always been the position of the PNM government that cross border gas would benefit Trinidad and Tobago and hence the reason we spent so much time and effort pursuing same.”

Calling Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal the most incompetent Energy Minister ever, Young said he, Persad-Bissessar and the UNC “attacked, sabotaged and undermined all of our efforts to secure the cross-border gas.”

Young said, “Thankfully we secured the 30 year and 20-year licences as well as the initial OFAC Licences after a lot of direct negotiations and engagement with the US Government.”

He said he was looking forward to Persad-Bissessar further addressing the nation on such issues and in answering his questions above.

On Thursday, Rodríguez posted on her Facebook page, “We welcome US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to Venezuela, with whom we held a meeting with focal points to establish a long-term productive partnership. Let’s move towards an energetic agenda beneficial to our peoples and that becomes the engine of the bilateral relationship between our countries.”

Last year, both Persad-Bissessar and Rodríguez have had public words regarding access to Venezuelan energy hubs.

In October, Persad-Bissessar had said she was not fazed by words of caution from Rodríguez who said Trinidad and Tobago’s economy could collapse if it continued to rely on the US for access to Venezuelan gas.

Since the capture of Nicolás Maduro  by the Trump administration, Trump vowed  his administration would run Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could take place, adding that the US would indefinitely control the sale of its oil.