The Prime Minister says "NO ONE, be it the Venezuelan government, CARICOM or any other entity" will "blackmail" her "government into retreating from the fight against the drug cartels."
This was Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's response to the Government of Venezuela's stated intention to suspend all bilateral natural gas agreements with this country.
00:00Prime Minister Kamala Pesad with Sasa tells TV6 News that her administration has not had any energy discussions with the Venezuelan government since coming into office after the 2025 general election in Trinidad and Tobago on April 28th.
00:16A six-month wave of certain U.S. sanctions against Venezuela was granted by the U.S. earlier this month to allow for the finalization of a deal for the supply of natural gas from Venezuela's jargon field to Trinidad and Tobago.
00:30Prime Minister Pesad beses to TV6 News on Monday, quote,
00:33Joint training exercises between the U.S. and the Trinidad and Tobago military are solely for improving our internal security.
00:42No one, be it the Venezuelan government, CARICOM, or any other entity, will pressure or blackmail my government into retreating from the fight against the drug cartels.
00:53I am tired of seeing our citizens murdered and terrorized. Trinidad and Tobago citizens' safety and happiness is my main concern, end quote.
01:04This follows an announcement by Venezuela's Vice President and Energy Minister Delsi Rodriguez on Monday regarding Venezuela's drug and gas the day after Venezuela's government denounced what it claimed was a military provocation by Trinidad and Tobago in coordination with the CIA to provoke a war in the Caribbean.
01:23Venezuela's government made the statement on Sunday as the U.S.-guided missile destroyer USS Gravely and the U.S. 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in Port of Spain for joint military exercises with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.
01:39Venezuela's Vice President said on Monday, quote,
01:42Reproposed to President Nicolas Maduro the denunciation of the Energy Cooperation Framework Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, consequently request that all bilateral gas agreements be suspended, end quote.
01:58Venezuela's Vice President is also Venezuela's Minister of Energy.
02:02Opposition leader Penelope Beckels said the announcement by Venezuela's Vice President is alarming, unfortunate, and deeply concerning.
02:12Opposition leader Beckels further said, quote,
02:14This development presents a complex and delicate challenge requiring a measured and thoughtful response.
02:21The PNM has long prided itself on being careful and diligent in the pursuit of economic stability and growth for our nation.
02:27Yet this latest twist is both alarming and consequential and rests squarely at the feet of the sitting government of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:36The pressing question that now arises is what lies ahead for Trinidad and Tobago in this period of uncertainty, end quote.
02:44In an initial response to Vice President Rodriguez, Prime Minister Persad Beckels said, quote,
02:50This is of no concern to us. Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has.
02:55We have plans and projects to grow our economy both within the energy and non-energy sectors, end quote.
03:03The Prime Minister also made reference to the negotiations for the drug and gas made by the government of Trinidad and Tobago
03:09during the former PNM administration, which had received an OFAC license under the former Joe Biden administration in the U.S.,
03:18but was revoked earlier this year by the U.S. government being led by President Donald Trump.
03:24Prime Minister Persad Beckels said, quote,
03:26The last PNM government mistakenly placed all their hopes in the Dragon Project.
03:31We have not done so, therefore, we are not susceptible to any blackmail from the Venezuelans for political support, end quote.
03:40Prime Minister Persad Beckels said on Monday that Trinidad and Tobago continues to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.
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