Venezuela deploys specialist team to Heritage oil spill site

Raphael John-Lall

Freelance Contributor

Venezuelan Minister of Popular Power for Eco-Socialism, Freddy Ñáñez, says his government is maintaining “permanent monitoring” of the situation generated by a hydrocarbon spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking via his Telegram account yesterday, Ñáñez said the event, emanating from Heritage Petroleum’s offshore field, had impacted strategic sectors of the Gulf of Paria and various coastal areas of the east of Venezuela, with confirmed damage in parts of the state of Sucre.

He said according to the preliminary technical report prepared by the institutional teams, sensitive areas of the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro are also being closely monitored to determine the true extent of the cross-border incident.

Ñáñez highlighted that the acting President Delcy Rodríguez had ordered the immediate deployment of a multidisciplinary technical team of environmental specialists, biologists and risk assessment experts, who will travel to the affected areas to conduct further field analyses and verify the damage on-site.

The team’s main mission will be to activate the necessary mitigation actions to safeguard the marine-coastal ecosystems and mangroves that constitute fundamental pillars of biodiversity in the eastern region.

He emphasised that the deployment team will seek not only to contain the advance of hydrocarbons, but also to guarantee that the recovery of natural spaces is carried out under the highest environmental safety standards.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan newspaper El Ultimas Noticias reported yesterday that government intervention will prioritise attention to fishing communities that depend directly on the environmental balance of the affected waters.

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has sought to downplay the oil spill, saying it was “a minor event in Trinidad and Tobago waters that was dealt with in 48 hours.” However, the incident occurred on May 1 and was first reported on Saturday by the Venezuelan government.

fore being confirmed by Heritage and Moonilal on Sunday.