Young notes Rubio’s announcement could impact Dragon deal

File photo: In September, T&T’s Minister of Energy, Stuart Young, right and Venezuela’s Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea signed the Dragon gas deal at the Miraflores Palace, the official residence of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who witnessed the signing, at centre.

Acting Prime Minister Stuart Young has acknowledged the tweet by US Senator Marco Rubio could affect the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and the Dragon Gas deal. 

Rubio’s tweet said, “Today, pursuant to @POTUS directive, I am providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.”

Young said, ” We continue to work every angle we can. It is understood by many levels how important this deal, let’s use the Dragon Deal as the example, because that’s what everyone seems to be focused on, and our OFAC licence, et cetera, how important that is, not only for the energy security of Trinidad and Tobago, but also the stability of the region, CARICOM, as well as South America, and also the conversations we’ve consistently had with the United States of America, how it also affects the geopolitics, not only of the region, but also of our way as Europe, as well as some other entities.”

He was speaking at the Post Cabinet news conference on Thursday.
Young said the government is engaged with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the continuation of the Dragon Gas deal, which is important for the country’s energy strategy.

He said, “We are very aware of how important it is and who the decision-makers are.”

Young also commented on the opposition’s constant criticism of Venezuela’s leadership. He said that attacks on President Maduro, who controls the world’s largest oil reserves, could affect diplomatic relations. 

“I can tell you, even on previous trips, previous conversations that were had, there always was a level of concern,” Young said. “Because when you stood up in parliament every week and you heard the throwing of insults at a world leader, because at the end of the day, President Maduro is a leader. He sits on the largest oil reserves in the world. And you have people on the other side, the UNC opposition attacking relentlessly and saying, what I saw yesterday, some of that type of language, that will never go down well. “

Young said Trinidad and Tobago would continue to work to manage its relationship with Venezuela and ensure the conclusion of the Dragon deal.