Former Petrotrin worker caters for V'zuelans

For 12 years, 32-year-old Obawole “Oba” Biddeau worked as a mechanic with the now-defunct Petrotrin refinery and now, just seven months after its closure, he has become a budding businessman.

For the past week, the former temporary worker has been operating a food cart, Papa Oba Xpress Comida, with the help of his Venezuelan girlfriend Hecdymar Dominguez.

Yesterday, they operated outside Achievors Banquet Hall at Duncan Village, San Fernando, where Government's amnesty registration drive for Venezuelans continues.

“Things are going all right so far since we opened a week ago. It is not only selling food and drinks. We are giving away food to some of them. Some are walking from far distances to get here and they have no money,” Biddeau said.

The San Fernando resident sells food items including popular Venezuelan dishes such as arepas and empanadas.

Biddeau said: “It is hard for them. Put yourself in that situation, having to jump a boat and travel in that bad waters to come here. It is not easy. Sometimes when I come to set up, the Venezuelans who are waiting to register help me.”

In November, the Government shut down Petrotrin’s Point-a-Pierre refinery and sent home hundreds of workers citing financial woes. He said he received a small amount of money.

Out of a job, Biddeau said he began brainstorming on how to earn a living. He came up with the business idea and capitalised on the influx of Venezuelans in TT. He even learnt to speak Spanish.

“I picked up the language very fast. If you want to learn something, you just put your mind to it. I sit down and thought about what I am going to do. I never saw myself in food. I intend to do catering.

"Hopefully, one day I would own my own restaurant.”

For the moment Biddeau said he is taking his time with the business.

He previously lived at Sangre Grande where he operated a tyre shop. He closed it down to work Petrotrin.

Hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants continue to register at the San Fernando centre hoping to live and work freely for a year.

One family from Valera, a city in Trujillo State beamed as they completed their registration. Lilibeth Linares said the process was excellent. Her husband arrived at about 3 am and took numbers which allowed them to be among the first batches to enter.

“The process was very fast. The service was excellent. Trujillo is near Colombia,” she said.

As this reporter was speaking, Linares’s six-year-old son Santiago Gonzales interjected to offer a hug and a kiss.

Looking around he said in Spanish: “There are plenty Venezuelans here.”