(Trinidad Guardian) Following the United States’ decision Wednesday to resume sanctions against Venezuela, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley clarified that as it stands, the Dragon gas arrangement is unaffected.
However, he said that given the geopolitical dynamics involved, that could change.
“The United States does things to Venezuela or about Venezuela, we can’t guarantee that some of these things will not be detrimental to us. It has already been, but we have some things in place which are not directly affected by that. But that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be affected sometime in the future, as the goalposts keep changing,” Rowley said at a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday.
He noted that the whole idea of getting Venezuela to export gas to T&T is a positive move.
“If it does not happen this year and it happens ten years from now, then that is a good thing. We would love it to happen sooner. The whole idea of us having, out of that agreement, a 30-year arrangement is positive. When it is going to start there are some difficulties there, but it might be influenced by the outcome of the US elections because they are all intertwined. The politics of Florida, the politics of New York,” Rowley explained.
In a release on Wednesday, the Ministry of Energy said the decision by the US government to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector does not affect the special amended licence that was issued to the Government of T&T on October 17, 2023.
The US government’s action is being seen as an attempt to punish President Nicolás Maduro’s attempts to consolidate his rule just six months after the US eased restrictions in a bid to support now fading hopes for a democratic opening in the OPEC nation.
A senior US official, discussing the decision with reporters in Washington DC on Wednesday, said any US company investing in Venezuela would have 45 days to wind down operations to avoid adding uncertainty to global energy markets. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss US policy deliberations.
CDB issue
Asked if he agreed that the leadership of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is an internal matter to the institution and that regional heads of government should not be involved, the Prime Minister said he did not agree with that notion at all.
Rowley indicated that the CDB, as a regional institution, should be looked at by the regional leaders.
“When I was in Guyana, at the last heads of government meeting, a significant part of our discussion had to do with the carryings-on at the CDB and if there is anybody that is indicating that the regional heads have no business in being concern or being moved, by what is happening with the CDB, then they are very wrong,” Rowley said.
The CDB has remained mum on the circumstances surrounding the decision to send the CDB president, Hyginus Leon, on administrative leave in January. Acting CDB president Isaac Solomon, confirmed at a Bank news conference in February that “there is an internal administrative process involving the president.
“The bank is extremely focused on preserving the independence, confidentiality, and integrity of the process and as you can well appreciate for us to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the process, we are unable to provide any other details at this time,” Solomon said then.
