Venezuela Foreign Minister Yvan Gil. Photo: Internet Source

Gil held a news conference on Monday during which he also requested that the T&T Government provide information on the spill, which he claimed originated from Trinidad and impacted Venezuelan coastlines, ecosystems, and fishing communities. The minister claimed that the lack of information from the T&T Government was extremely serious, and also stated that there was no information on the exact origin, volume, or type of hydrocarbon involved.

He said the Venezuelan government had conducted an exhaustive monitoring report and pointed out that between 2015 and 2023, there had been more than 876 spills involving various types of hydrocarbons in the area.

Gil said the T&T Government was obligated to immediately report to the Venezuelan government the occurrence of any spill or environmental incident, and provide information on the type of product spilled and the mitigation measures taken.

The minister said these obligations fall under international agreements and that the lack of official data violates international protocols. He said Caracas was preparing an environmental damage assessment to activate legal mechanisms and demand financial liability.

Gil also disclosed that the Venezuelan government had sent different communications to the T&T Government to assess the impact and, if necessary, demand compensation as required under international agreements. The Minister said compensation had been provided for previous oil spills.

The Venezuelan foreign minister reiterated that T&T must cover the total costs of the environmental recovery. He insisted on the urgency of a joint response to mitigate the environmental impacts in the Gulf of Paria.

“We call on the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to take responsibility to assume its duties and to cover the costs involved in reversing the environmental damage, so we can work together with all authorities who are in charge from the very first moment to monitor the entire situation,” said Gil. In response to a question from Opposition MP Stuart Young last Friday in Parliament, Energy Minister Roodal Moonilal said a “small spill” occurred on May 1 and that communication had been established with the Venezuelan government through diplomatic channels regarding the incident.