Tag: Trinidad and tobago

T&T seeks Guyana’s support as it looks to restart refinery

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

Trinidad and Tobago is seeking stronger energy partnerships with Guyana as part of strategic measures to restart its shuttered state-owned Petrotrin oil refinery.
Speaking at the ongoing Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday, Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said the twin-island nation is also prepared to leverage its multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure and over 100 years of experience in the sector in a bid to revitalise the country’s declining oil industry.
“Trinidad and Tobago brings to the table a wealth of experience in oil and gas,” Minister Moonilal stated.
He said this includes contractors, labour, technology, human capital, strategic and technical assistance in management, as well as insight into the pitfalls of the industry.
Moonilal noted that with the reopening of the oil refinery, Guyana, as well as the wider Caribbean, stands to benefit immensely from easier access to refined products that are usually sourced from international markets.
“One can only imagine, if we really restart our refinery, that we could supply Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, but also the rest of the CARICOM region,” the Minister said.
He pointed out that countries would then have the opportunity to purchase products such as diesel, petrol and aviation fuel.
“We could produce those products in Trinidad and, just one hour away, ship them back to Guyana, return them to Suriname and throughout the Caribbean islands…” the Minister opined.
Moonilal expressed deep regret that a closer alliance had not previously been formed with Guyana and Suriname, the region’s new oil producers.
He said Trinidad and Tobago’s attendance at the conference seeks to address this oversight fundamentally, even as it receives positive feedback on the role the country could play in supporting the region’s newest oil majors.

PM Persad-Bissessar: No worry, T&T safer with US radar

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says there is no need for citizens to be on edge over the radar system installed by the United States military in Tobago, as the system will make both the sister island and Trinidad safer.
The Express contacted the Prime Minister yesterday for comment on the controversy the US radar system has ignited and criticisms from several quarters, including the Opposition.
Persad-Bissessar reiterated that T&T was not a United States base for any attacks on Venezuela, noting that the military might the US already has in the region—including the US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier—is more than sufficient.
“The US owns thousands of satellites, they own the GPS system, they have almost 20 per cent of their navy in the Caribbean with the most sophisticated military communications technology in existence. They don’t need to put a radar in our country to use for any military purpose. They could monitor the entire Caribbean from the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier. Sensible people understand these facts,” she said.
Last Tuesday, the Prime Minister met with General Dan Caine, chairman of the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Port of Spain. He is the highest-ranking military officer and the principal military adviser to US President Donald Trump. She said the meeting focused on tackling narco-trafficking and regional security—not Venezuela.
Persad-Bissessar clarified that, contrary to public speculation, she was the one who requested the radar from the US Embassy months ago and that it did not come about as a result of her meeting with General Caine.
“Months ago I made the request to the local US Embassy for a US-supplied radar as a temporary solution for our poor surveillance capabilities. A system will also be installed at a site in Trinidad until a permanent replacement for our ineffective existing radar system can be installed,” she stated.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the people of Tobago, in particular, have nothing to fear, as the radar system enhances their protection.
“Tobago’s air and sea territory are the most secure they have ever been and the people of Tobago are the safest they have ever been. I am ultimately responsible for their safety and security and will ensure they never have a bloody year like 2024,” she said.
She added: “The 2024 murders in Tobago (26 in total) were mainly driven by fights for drug turf. A number of Trinidadian criminals went to Tobago and sought to create havoc with gang violence and drug trafficking. The previous PNM government did nothing to help (THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine) because they believed by allowing crime to flourish in Tobago it would damage him at the polls. There has never been a Chief Secretary who loves the people of Tobago as much as Farley.”
The Express asked the Prime Minister about claims made by retired Lt Cmdr Norman Dindial, a former military commander who once ran T&T’s coastal surveillance. Dindial, who is political leader of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA), claimed that T&T already has a fully functional and effective marine radar system, and that the US-operated system in Tobago is a battlefield-grade technology designed for war, not counter-narcotics.
According to Persad-Bissessar, Dindial has questions to answer.
“This person claims that he was in charge of the radar system that we are replacing and claimed that it works properly. Well he should also explain why for the past ten years there was a proliferation of drugs, guns and human trafficking into Trinidad and Tobago. We had record drug trafficking, murders and violence for ten years because of people and equipment that failed at their jobs,” she said.
Last Wednesday, when questioned by the media about the presence of US aircraft and marines in Tobago, the Prime Minister did not divulge any information about the radar and instead said the US marines were assisting with the runway at the new ANR Robinson International Airport.
When pressed further on Thursday, she admitted that a radar system was being installed, and said she withheld the information to avoid alerting criminal networks.
Asked if she still held this position or upon reflection felt she ought to have informed citizens, the Prime Minister said she never takes reckless decisions regarding the safety of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
“In situations involving classified security issues, the priority must be protecting our country and our people, and that limits what I can say. Even when I cannot comment publicly, the Government is engaged, informed, and acting within the responsibilities entrusted to it.
“I will not disclose sensitive information about matters under classification, regardless of political pressure or commentary. I don’t think it’s wise to broadcast to local and transnational criminal networks our national security and intelligence gathering plans,” she said.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump declared that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered closed, triggering fear and panic that Trinidad and Tobago’s airspace was also affected. Defence Minister Wayne Sturge assured at a news conference in Tobago later on Saturday that T&T’s airspace remains open.
The Prime Minister reiterated this yesterday, cautioning against fake information circulating on social media.
“The majority of the population are not fooled by fake information. Some of these posts are political, some mischievous and some are just lonely people farming for likes and comments. We had 40,000 people in Tobago partying for their carnival and we had thousands in San Fernando celebrations. Citizens are not fooled by the fake posts,” she said.
Asked for her opinion about President Trump’s declaration of a no-fly zone over Venezuela, the Prime Minister responded: “That is between President Trump and (Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro). We are focused on our national security interests only.”
Persad-Bissessar has repeatedly stated that the US presence in T&T is focused on narco-trafficking and joint training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF).
Asked how she would respond to those who still believe the US is using T&T as a launch pad for action against Venezuela, she replied:
“They can believe what they want, according to their intelligence level, but the facts speak for themselves. Murders are 40 per cent down, boats have ceased smuggling drugs, guns and humans from Venezuela. Drugs and illegal gun prices are up because of scarcity and fish prices remain the same. Facts are facts. It’s pointless to spend time trying to convince persons who want to deliberately misrepresent and misunderstand anything I say.”
The Prime Minister thanked the US for its assistance.
“The US government has never requested any use of Trinidad and Tobago’s territory for any military action against the people of Venezuela.
As I said before, I requested a temporary radar system be installed here, and I am thankful that the US gave us one of the best systems available and the assistance to install and operate it,” she said.
She continued: “At this time we have the best air and sea surveillance that we ever had in our history. We now have to efficiently use the data we get from these systems to effect land and sea interdiction operations.” (Trinidad Express)

T&T Prime Minister: ‘We don’t need Venezuelan gas’

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

AMID the Venezuelan government’s proposal on October 27 to suspend all gas ties with Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defiantly declared that TT does not need Venezuelan gas, and never did.

“Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has,” she told Newsday via WhatsApp. “We have our plans and projects to grow our economy both within the energy and non-energy sectors.”

Persad-Bissessar said unlike the previous administration, the government has not placed all its eggs in one basket.

“The last PNM government mistakenly placed all their hopes in the Dragon project – we have not done so.

“Therefore, we are not susceptible to any blackmail from the Venezuelans for political support. We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.”

Newsday asked whether tensions between TT and Venezuela can be de-escalated through dialogue and if it were possible, would she take the lead in those conversations.

She responded: “There are no tensions. We continue to maintain peaceful relations with the Venezuelan people.”

Persad-Bissessar’s statements come after Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez made the announcement of cutting energy ties with TT.

In a speech televised on Telesur, Rodríguez said: “Following the aggressive actions of TT being complicit with the United States military actions in the Caribbean, the board of oil industry of Venezuela has proposed to the head of state, Nicolas Maduro, to immediately denounce and suspend all gas co-operation agreements that exist between the two countries, Venezuela and TT.” (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)

T&T pushes back against Venezuela

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

“We do not respond well to threats at all.”
This was the defiant stance taken by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers during a telephone interview with Guardian Media, making it clear that this country would not be intimidated.
His comments came after Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López said Trinidad and Tobago, along with Guyana, could face reprisals if their territories were used by the United States in any military action against Venezuela.
“To those who sent a written statement from the United States, I am referring to the governments of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the government of Trinidad and Tobago, who have played along. I say to you, well, if they attack from your territory, you will also receive a response, and that is legitimate defence,” Padrino warned.
Last Thursday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also cautioned, “Don’t even think about it.”
Sobers stated that the government would safeguard its sovereignty while supporting US efforts to combat transnational crime in the region.
“We all, in the Southern Caribbean, should be happy for the level of intervention that is taking place by the US here to finally have a zone of peace,” he said.
“Any other conversation, contrary to that, has to be coming from somebody who is happy with the state of affairs that we inherited as an administration, which is a murderous, runaway horse Caribbean community where crime and criminality is affecting the majority of the countries within Caricom,” he added.
The minister insisted that T&T was “in 100 per cent support of American intervention in this particular case” and stressed that relations with Caracas remain intact.
“And to all else who threatens about who there, and who this, and who that, and who not, and who coming, and who going. That’s their business. They can say what they want in Venezuela with the greatest of respect,” he said.
“To the Government and to the people of Venezuela, as far as I’m concerned, we are still on very good terms.”
Sobers said he maintained a strong working relationship with Venezuelan Ambassador Álvaro Enrique Sánchez Cordero. He also addressed comments from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who questioned whether Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was being guided by others, comparing her stance to that of US Senator Marco Rubio, whom he labelled “the lord of death and war”.

“She takes no instructions from anyone,” Sobers said.
“We are a sovereign country, and our decisions are made by virtue of a Cabinet that meets and makes decisions for the peace and the betterment of Trinidad and Tobago.”
The Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister also revealed that the deportation of 200 Venezuelans has been delayed by what he described as “certain steps” taken on Venezuela’s end, though he declined to give details, citing “matters of national security”.
Persad-Bissessar criticised Caracas on Monday for stalling the repatriation of what she described as “200 criminal migrants” for two months.
Sobers explained that the deportation process falls under the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Homeland Security. He noted that foreigners can be deported if they enter the country illegally, commit a criminal offence, or work without a permit.
The deportation can be stayed if individuals qualify through birth or descent. He acknowledged T&T’s obligations under the UN Refugee Convention but stressed that domestic law takes precedence.
“The Government will deport people, illegal persons within this country, who, one, entered illegally; two, who entered legally but breached the terms and conditions that were placed upon their passport by way of the stamp when they entered the country legally; three, persons who entered legally or illegally and they’ve committed criminal acts within the country—those are the classes of persons that the government will deport.
“And if, out of those classes of persons, you have people who have attempted to claim refugee status through the UNHCR, or through other organisations, but they fall within those categories by breaking the law, then absolutely, we will deport you.”
However, former foreign and Caricom affairs minister Dr Amery Browne accused the government of mishandling relations with Venezuela.
“This reckless posture will take a long time to repair and will have negative effects on various aspects of important work with our largest and nearest neighbour in a range of areas, including immigration collaboration, energy collaboration, search and rescue, fisheries, and collaboration between our coast guard and their counterparts,” he said.
Browne added that under the People’s National Movement, similar deportations were carried out “without fanfare, provocation, or undue tension” through established diplomatic channels.

He also criticised what he called “insulting commentary” from the Prime Minister directed at Colombia’s President after Bogotá requested assistance in locating the bodies of 11 Venezuelans killed during a US operation targeting suspected traffickers.
Guardian Media contacted Venezuelan Ambassador Álvaro Enrique Sánchez Cordero, who said he was awaiting clearance to respond. However, he forwarded remarks from President Maduro, who, during a media conference on Monday, said, “Although the communications with the US are broken, we keep the minimum communication necessary to bring back our migrants, which is a top priority for the Government and Venezuelan families.” (T&T Guardian)

Exxon in talks with Trinidad for seven deepwater blocks, sources say

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

ExxonMobil has begun negotiations with the Trinidad and Tobago government to explore for oil and gas in up to seven deepwater blocks off the East Coast of the Caribbean country, which the top US oil producer left more than two decades ago, two sources close to the talks told Reuters.
The areas Exxon is interested in are located north of the company’s prolific Stabroek block in Guyana, the fastest-growing oil production province in the world, the people said.
Exxon and partners Hess and CNOOC have discovered more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil and gas in Stabroek and plan to produce more than 900,000 barrels per day of light sweet crude later this year.
Trinidad and Tobago is speaking with several major oil and gas companies, Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister Roodlal Moonilal told Reuters on Tuesday.
“We are in discussions with major players to ramp up exploration and production within and outside of bid rounds,” Moonilal said, without disclosing names.
Exxon said it does not comment on rumours or speculation.
Exxon left Trinidad and Tobago in 2003 after a failed exploration programme.
Under the new government of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad aims to rejuvenate investment, especially offshore, where more gas output is needed to support the nation’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petrochemical industries.
Since she took office in April, a flagship offshore gas project with neighbouring Venezuela that lost its US authorisation to move forward has been shelved, while the government has focused efforts on deepening ties with the region’s other energy producers.
According to Trinidad’s laws, the government can individually negotiate areas for exploration and production if they are not included in a competitive bidding round.
Trinidad and Tobago is in the middle of a deepwater auction, opens new tab that has been extended to close on September 17, and which does not include the blocks Exxon is negotiating for.
If Exxon and Trinidad reach an agreement, the US producer could acquire almost all the ultra deepwater blocks that remain unlicensed.
The large discoveries of oil and gas made in recent years in the Guyana-Suriname basin are one of the reasons why Trinidad is now seeing a renewed interest in its ongoing deepwater auction, the country’s energy minister said at a conference early in July.
Moonilal said Trinidad was open to bids outside of auctions and hinted at the negotiations.
“We are currently considering one such proposal, and if the negotiations are successful, a major announcement will soon be made,” he added. (Reuters)

Trinidad & Tobago holds lead after faceoff with Jamaica

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) strengthened its grip on the lead in the 2025 CARICOM Classic Team Chess Tournament, pulling ahead of Jamaica after Round Five played on Friday, 4 July 2025, at the Pegasus Hotel. Jamaica had trailed their Trinidadian opponents by a slim margin after Round Four on Wednesday. Trinidad now has an accumulated total of 18 points, while Jamaica stands at 16.5 after five rounds.

The four-member team from the twin-island republic—FM Joshua Johnson, FM Kevin Cupid, WFM Ysvett Hermoso Rodriguez and WCM Zara La Fleur—faced the Jamaican quartet of FM Joshua Christie, FM Shreyas Smith, Amy Stephenson and Kaia Gayle in a crucial round that influenced the accumulated team points among the tournament leaders. The only win of the round came from Rodriguez (T&T), who defeated Stephenson. Johnson (T&T) and Christie (Jamaica) drew their game after neither was able to convert their opposite-coloured Bishop endgame into a win. The match between Cupid (T&T) and Smith (Jamaica) also ended in a draw, as did the game between La Fleur (T&T) and Gayle (Jamaica).

Meanwhile, in another Round Five encounter of the round-robin event, Guyana Team A faced Guyana Team B. A notable upset came when CM Sachin Pitamber defeated his compatriot CM Taffin Khan. Pitamber successfully breached Khan’s king defences and pinned an immobile Bishop, gaining a material advantage. Khan resigned on move 32 to avoid a certain checkmate.

After five rounds, the team standings are as follows: Trinidad & Tobago – 18 points; Jamaica – 16.5; Suriname – 16; Barbados – 12; Guyana – 11; Cayman Islands – 10.5; St Lucia – 9; and Dominica – 0.5.

In the junior Under-16 individual category, Barbadian Mileke Sinckler and Surinamese Ravish Ramesar are jointly in the lead with 17.5 points, followed by Nicholas Zhang of Guyana on 16.5. Kataleya Sam, Jeremy Cole and Arysh Raghunauth, also of Guyana, are on a joint score with Barbadian Noah Clarke at 15.5 points.

Results from Rounds Six to Nine will be released as the tournament nears its conclusion. Forty players are competing in the team event, while 48 are participating in the individual Under-16 category. (Guyana Chess Federation)

Guyanese vessel in T&T waiting for bad weather to stop

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

An agent for the owner of the Guyanese cargo ship Hein, which was run aground on June 10 to prevent it from capsizing, said the vessel had been repacked, was afloat, and was waiting on the bad weather to end before anchoring in Port of Spain.
He spoke to Newsday on June 12 via telephone and said works were ongoing.
“The cargo was repacked yesterday, so we should be moving the vessel, maybe tomorrow. Because of the rainy weather today, we decided not to move, we decided not to move until tomorrow.”
The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service has extended the Orange Level Riverine Flood Alert until 6 p.m. today, warning of several more hours of heavy rain, strong winds, and increased flooding risks.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, river levels are already high and soil saturation across the country is severe, raising the risk of damage to homes, collapsed roadways, agricultural loss, and threats to public safety.
There have been reports of 18 fallen trees in Diego Martin and Sangre Grande, three major landslides on the North Coast Road, and collapsed roadways in Poole Village, Rio Claro, and the Heights of Aripo in Arima. Additionally, eight roofs were damaged in Port of Spain, Princes Town, Siparia, and Rio Claro.
Advised that the weather alert had recently been updated, he said,
“Because of the low visibility at sea and the rainy conditions, maybe after the weather system passes, we will move to Port of Spain anchorage. We just don’t want to take any risks.”
The agent said there was no major fuel spill from the vessel. He noted that even small seagoing vessels, such as fishing boats, leaked minor amounts of fuel.
“You will see a little bit of an oil slick from them. There was absolutely no leak from the Hein at all. For an oil leak to have taken place, it would have meant the engine room would have been compromised and that wasn’t the case. The engine room was never flooded or under water. The bilge of the vessel, where the oil settles, which is like the sump engine of a car, that was never compromised.”
President of the TT Marine Services Association (MSATT), Jesse James, said as of June 12, everything was fine with the vessel.
The vessel Hein ran aground on Monos Island on June 10 after cargo shifted, causing the boat to tilt to one side and threaten to capsize. It was en route to St Vincent carrying construction materials. The captain of the boat engaged the company Capital Signal, which dispatched the tugboat C Prowler along with a barge equipped with a crane to aid in righting the boat.
The online site VesselFinder, which tracks vessels around the world, said the HEIN is a general cargo ship built in 1966 (making it 59 years old) and is currently sailing under the flag of Guyana. It has an overall length of 61.75 metres and a tonnage of 861. (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)

St Vincent PM urges calm in Venezuela-T&T row

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has urged both Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to exercise restraint and resolve their differences peacefully and in line with international law, the Trinidad Guardian reports.
“All I would like to do is to urge both neighbours to continue to act peacefully in accordance with international law,” Gonsalves said in an interview with Guardian Media yesterday.

He warned against inflaming the situation with strong language. “As far as practicable, we do not incline the situation with any excessive rhetoric. We just take our patience into account. And whatever is the problem, we solve them maturely between two neighbours.”

Tensions between T&T and Venezuela escalated last week after Venezuelan Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello alleged on his programme Con El Mazo Dando, that a Trinidadian by the name of “Guis Kendell Jerome” – had been captured en route to Venezuela with a group labelled “terrorists” in an attempt to destabilise their government.

Senior police officials in this country have since confirmed that the person named by Cabello had not appeared in T&T’s criminal database.

During last Thursday’s post-Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar added to the issue as she delivered a warning to Venezuela that T&T was off-limits.

She revealed that the T&T Coast Guard (TTCG) would have been placed on alert to use deadly force if any vessel from Venezuela sought to access local waters illegally.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister was asked whether Caricom should intervene in the developing tension, he replied, “Maybe not, maybe not as yet, but that’s why I’m urging peace and calm.”

Gonsalves reaffirmed Caricom’s and the region’s broader commitment to peace. “That would be what my own broad position would do as someone who supports very much—and we all do, and Caricom does, and so too does Venezuela—we support our region as a region of peace. We want to see good neighbourliness.”

He cautioned against drawing in outside forces. “If there is any challenge which arises, we should not interfere in the internal affairs of any other state. We should not bring any foreign power into this particular matter. This is a matter which we have to be careful that is not blown out of proportions.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said while this country remains on high alert, communication was key.

Efforts to contact Defence Minster Wayne Sturge yesterday on Saturday’s meeting with national security and law enforcement officials to discuss allegations of a local link to destabilise Venezuela were unsuccessful.

Alexander directed all questions to Sturge yesterday, but would only say that local law enforcement agencies had been placed on high alert. (St Vincent Times)

T&T Prime Minister warns Venezuela of deadly force

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has sent a message to Venezue­lan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday: stay out of Trinidad and Tobago territory as any unidentified vessel entering T&T’s waters will be met with deadly force.
She also warned T&T citizens—drug and human smugglers who are “masquerading as fishermen”—that if they are caught by Venezuelans, they are on their own.
Speaking at yesterday’s post-­Cabinet news conference at the Red House, Port of Spain, Persad-Bissessar recalled statements by Maduro and Venezuelan Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello as she declared that her Government will take any threats seriously, and it stood in so­lidarity with the United States.
On Wednesday, Maduro claimed an armed group of men had attemp­ted to enter Venezuela from Trinidad and Tobago.
He made the comments du­ring the swearing-in ceremony of Jho­anna Carrillo, the new governor of Venezuela’s north-eastern Sucre state.
The allegations were published in an article by Prensa Latina, the official news agency of the Cuban state.
According to the article, Maduro said that a group of armed men, carrying “weapons of war”, were intercep­ted while trying to breach Venezue­lan borders via Trinidad and Tobago.
The Prime Minister said she could “categorically” say there was no evidence to validate this at this point.
Persad-Bissessar noted newspaper reports where Cabello claimed that a Trinidadian she identified as “Kendel Jheron” was supposedly captured in this group. (Cabello identified the man as “Guis Kendell Jerome”.)
Persad-Bissessar insisted there was also no evidence to support the comments from Venezuelan officials.
She pointed out that Cabello was reported as vowing to pursue anyone attempting to destabilise Venezuela, with the words, “There must be justice. We are going after the gangs, wherever they are.”
Said Persad-Bissessar: “Today, I want to make it clear to the Venezuelan government and officials, that they can do whatever they want on Venezuela territory, but they cannot come here. T&T territory is off-limits to them.
“If Mr Cabello’s comments are a veiled threat to enter T&T territory, they should reconsider any such intention,” she added.
The Prime Minister said as a responsible Government, they had to take all threats against any incursion into T&T’s territory seriously.
“I will speak to the Minister of Defence and the Attorney General to seek advice on protections for our Coast Guard to use deadly force on any unidentified vessel entering Trinidadian waters from Venezuela, smuggling military-age, able-bodied men and women. T&T is off-limits to them,” she said.
“Following comments from Maduro and Cabello, we have to now take seriously the threat by that government sending their agents into our country to commit acts that can be adverse to our welfare. We will also have to take a look at how we go forward with the Venezuelan migrants here who are military aged and able-bodied men and women. We have to take this threat seriously now,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said threats from Venezuela were not new, as she recalled they had made similar propaganda comments about Guyana and Colombia whenever they had internal political problems or elections, and then engaged in “border skirmishes and violence”.
“We will take these threats very seriously,” she emphasised.
No help for fishermen
The Prime Minister also cautioned T&T’s citizens engaged in crime.
“I want to tell the Trinidadian drug and human smugglers who are masquerading as fishermen—if you enter Venezuelan waters to do your illegal acts and are caught by Venezuelan authorities, you are on your own,” she said. “No amount of family crying on Ian (Alleyne’s) programmes will cause us to intervene.”
She said Cabello also alleged US involvement, “again throwing out the tired old bogey of blame the Yankees”, and he also condemned the treatment of Venezuelans abroad who have fled their homeland.
She said Cabello should ask himself why Venezuelans were fleeing Venezuela and whether it was because of the behaviour of his own government and leader.
“I say further, no amount of rhe­toric from the Maduro government will drive any wedge between this UNC-led Government and the US government. We stand solidly with the American government on the issues concerning Venezuela. That will not change. We want no part of the Venezuelan government’s interior political gimmickry. We are peaceful neighbours, let’s leave it at that,” she said.
Defence Minister responds
Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge said reports were received about Maduro’s claim.
He spoke to Chief of Defence Staff Darryl Daniel, who gave the assurance that the country’s radar equipment did not pick up any such activity, and there was no evidence to support Maduro’s statement.
However, he said all threats are taken seriously and further investigations will continue.
Asked by the Express if he was sure the radar was working—given the thousands of Venezuelan migrants who were not detected when they came to T&T—Sturge assured it was working.
He said he did an audit and “we know where there are blind spots, not many, and there is a back-up system where we get assistance from other countries”.
The minister said there was evidence that Venezuelan “Tren de Aragua” gang members were in T&T.
Sturge said Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers had reached out to T&T officials in Venezuela to obtain information.
Asked if the T&T Government will be requesting military assistance from the United States, Sturge said: “That is premature and that may never happen.”
Asked if there will be beefed-up security on T&T’s coast, Sturge said there was sufficient security with the help of partners. (T&T Express)

T&T says no evidence to support Maduro’s paramilitary claims

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Defence has said it is aware of recent reports concerning a claim made by the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, alleging the infiltration by Colombian paramilitary groups into eastern Venezuela through Trinidad and Tobago.

In response to these claims, the Ministry of Defence says it has initiated a comprehensive investigation. “Preliminary findings indicate that there is currently no evidence to support these allegations. However, the Ministry is taking immediate and decisive steps to address the matter with the utmost seriousness and urgency,” a statement from the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday afternoon.

The Ministry says it is working in close coordination with law enforcement agencies and security forces to enhance surveillance and reinforce border security in critical areas. Additionally, it will be engaging with its Venezuelan counterparts through the appropriate diplomatic channels to gather any relevant information or evidence that could assist in this matter. (CNC3)