Rowley: Don't call me a liar over Delcy's visit

THE Prime Minister has said only Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and Asdrubal Chavez, who was not the president of PDVSA at that time, met with him at the Diplomatic Centre in March.

Dr Rowley posted the comment on Facebook in reply to criticism in the Thursday Guardian's editorial.

The Government has said Rodriguez's visit was to discuss the covid19 pandemic.

Soon after that, in April, a Paria Fuel Trading Company shipment of fuel to Aruba allegedly ended up in Venezuela, in defiance of US sanctions imposed for alleged election-rigging by the Venezuelan Government.

Further, questions have been asked as to whether TT had violated the Rio Treaty by allowing in Rodriguez, who is subject to travel restrictions, although National Security Minister Stuart Young said US Ambassador Joseph Mondello had not mentioned this in a recent phone call with him.

The editorial said the Government has not denied a letter circulating on social media from the Ministry of National Security's permanent secretary to the Chief Immigration Officer seeking on March 26 to exempt Rodriguez's delegation from TT's border lockdown against covid19. The editorial said the document named seven people and listed their passport numbers. If true, this was contrary to the government denials, said the editorial, and showed the delegation was not a surprise, but was planned for and welcomed.

Rowley hit back. "Contrary to what has been published in today’s Guardian Editorial, I once again must confirm that, notwithstanding any list of names of passengers on any manifest or aircraft, the only persons from Venezuela, who attended a meeting with the Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Diplomatic Centre in March 2020, were Vice President Delcy Rodriguez accompanied by one other person Mr Chavez, who was not the President of PDVSA at that time.PDVSA (Petróleos de Venezuela, SA) is the Venezuelan state-owned oil and gas company.

Rowley continued, "None of the other persons (security or other officials) who accompanied Mrs Rodriguez conducted any meeting with any official/s of the Government of TT.

"On the basis of these indisputable facts, today, I reject being called a liar by the Guardian newspaper in furtherance of their interests."