Opposition MP Stuart R. Young says it was the former PNM government that negotiated agreements allowing Trinidad and Tobago access to Venezuelan gas fields, including Dragon and Cocuina.
He said it was the PNM that paved the way for potential cross‑border gas supply.
“The agreements of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to grant Exploration, Production and Export licences to Trinidad and Tobago with respect to Dragon and Cocuina, as well as to allow Trinidad and Tobago to develop Manatee independently of Loran (via an agreement to de-unitize the Loran-Manatee field), opened the doors and paved the way to the real possibility of gas from Venezuela coming to Trinidad and Tobago,” Young stated in a Facebook post.
Young also criticized the current administration for not being at the negotiating table and warned that leaving talks to multinationals like Shell and others could hurt national interests.
He called the government’s approach “incompetent” and saying it short‑changes the country’s energy future.
“They are not at the negotiating table with Venezuela and are leaving Shell with a free pathway to secure terms that will be less favourable to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. We opened the door to Venezuela’s gas resources and ensured that both the Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela got mutually favourable terms,” he said.
“By being absent from key negotiations the Kamla Persad Bissessar administration is short changing Trinidad and Tobago. What is the allocation policy? What are the taxation and royalty percentages for Trinidad and Tobago? This government’s incompetence is hurting Trinidad and Tobago in unmeasurable ways.”
