Venezuelan parliamentarian Ángel Tortolero is defending his country’s latest move seeking compensation for an oil spill that originated in T&T two weeks ago.
On Monday, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil demanded compensation, claiming the spill had already affected 16,000 square kilometres of Venezuela’s coastline.
T&T’s Ministry of Energy acknowledged the oil spill, which occurred on May 1.
Speaking during a televised interview with Venezuelan media outlet La Iguana yesterday, Tortolero said, “Our action is fully in accordance with the law.”
He emphasised that artisanal fishermen along the coast of Sucre state were among the main victims of the spill.
“When I refer to the 500 fishermen, I’m talking about those who go out to sea to earn their daily living. I’m talking about the people,” he said.
Tortolero explained that any compensation sought would be used to clean the marine environment and assist those most affected by the spill.
He also criticised the Trinidad and Tobago Government for allegedly failing to notify Venezuelan authorities about the incident in a timely manner, thereby limiting Venezuela’s ability to take precautionary measures to contain the spill.
Tortolero added that Venezuela intended to pursue the matter through the appropriate legal channels.
“Venezuela does not act impulsively on matters of international law, nor does it engage in empty rhetoric. I always repeat this: Venezuela practices a very serious diplomacy, very much in line with what we call peace diplomacy, Bolivarian peace diplomacy, which is nothing more than using the legal and diplomatic instruments at our disposal to reach an understanding, especially with our neighbour, because Trinidad is, after all, a neighbour of Venezuela,” he said.
Venezuela’s Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello, who has frequently criticised T&T in the past, also joined other Venezuelan officials in condemning the Government over the issue.
Speaking at a weekly media conference of Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Cabello described T&T’s Government as “irresponsible” for allegedly failing to respond to Venezuela’s concerns.
“It is a matter of irresponsibility on the part of a government that has done the same thing more than once with other issues,” he said.
Cabello claimed Venezuelan authorities had repeatedly communicated with Trinidad and Tobago’s Government without receiving a response.
“They have been informed, they were even told where it was, and at this point they have not given any kind of response,” he said.
He argued that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago was obligated to acknowledge the environmental damage caused to Venezuelan fishermen and coastal communities.”
