Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she is prepared to personally lead negotiations in Venezuela as her government works to revive the stalled Dragon gas project.
Speaking at a news conference at Piarco International Airport on October 1 after returning from the United States, Persad-Bissessar said her administration began exploring options to restart the cross-border initiative shortly after winning the April 28 general election.
Her comments followed a September 30 meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In separate statements afterward, the Office of the Prime Minister and the State Department confirmed that both governments agreed to advance TT-Venezuela energy cooperation, with Rubio supporting approval of U.S. Treasury Department licences needed to move the Dragon project forward.
The U.S. also stressed that measures would be taken to ensure the arrangement does not provide “significant benefit” to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Persad-Bissessar said either Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers or Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal could lead the talks, but added, “Of course, you have me.” She said both ministers have already been in contact with their Venezuelan counterparts.
“In terms of Venezuela, the projects benefit Venezuela. They benefit the U.S. and they benefit TT,” she said, expressing confidence that negotiations will proceed despite Trinidad and Tobago’s support for U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean Sea.
The prime minister noted that her government had been working on securing the necessary OFAC licence from “day one” in office and revealed that discussions with Washington also covered other offshore fields, including Loran/Manatee and Cocuina-Manakin.
The remarks mark a shift from Persad-Bissessar’s position in May, when she declared the Dragon gas deal “dead” after years of delay under the previous administration.
