00:00Speaking with the media following an event at the Diplomatic Center on Friday,
00:04Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa did not give a timeline as to when Trinidad and Tobago can expect a renewal
00:10of the Office of Foreign Assets Control License by the U.S., which has given its support for the drug and gas project
00:18following a bilateral meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Prime Minister in Washington on Tuesday.
00:25Well, I can tell you soon, no date, time frame is given, but I think we both understood the urgency of the matter.
00:33So that is one step in a two-step process that we have to go through.
00:37The second step would be our license with Venezuela.
00:41A reference to a license granted by the government of Venezuela led by President Nicolas Maduro to Trinidad and Tobago
00:47during the former PNM administration before the 2025 general election.
00:52I am told that we had a 30-year license from Venezuela, but of course, given all that has transpired,
01:00we will have some more negotiations with Venezuela.
01:04Shell is involved in that project, and indeed I'm meeting Mr. Lomax from Shell in a short while
01:11to see what progress they have made.
01:14Shell Trinidad and Tobago says on its website, the North Coast Marine Area includes its two offshore facilities,
01:20one of which is the Hibiscus Platform, the facility which, according to the government,
01:25the gas from Venezuela's dragon field would go to first before being brought on shore to Trinidad.
01:31Before this happened with the United States, Shell had gone to Venezuela.
01:35They had discussions with Madam Delcy about the license, and I want to get updates from him as well,
01:41because Shell will have to speak with officials in Venezuela.
01:46How soon, I can't tell you.
01:47A reference to Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who the opposition says is Venezuela's new energy minister.
01:54The Prime Minister was asked if she recognizes Mr. Maduro as the president of Venezuela.
02:00That does not arise with a great disrespect.
02:02On its website, the U.S. State Department says there is a $50 million reward under the Narcotics Rewards Program
02:09for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of President Maduro for what the U.S. claims is the violation of U.S. narcotics laws.
02:19Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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