[UPDATED] US envoy: Young and I spoke of Delcy

US Ambassador Joseph N Mondello has said he expressed concern about the issue of Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago in light of the Rio Treaty in a recent conversation with Minister of National Security Stuart Young, who had earlier denied this.

On Tuesday in a statement, Mondello said the visit was discussed in relation to the Rio Treaty.

“Normally I do not comment on private conversations with host government officials.

“Since the Government has spoken publicly about my May 6 conversation with Minister Young, though, I wish to affirm that I expressed concern to the minister in that conversation about the consistency of Delcy Rodriguez's visit to Port of Spain with TT's obligations as a party to the Rio Treaty.

“Article 20 of the Rio Treaty makes it unambiguously clear that all measures imposed by the Organ of Consultation – like the travel restrictions on Ms Rodriguez – are binding on all treaty parties, whether or not they voted in favour of such measures.”

In the Senate last Wednesday, Young spoke about his conversation with the US ambassador while replying to an opposition question to the Prime Minister.

Senator Wade Mark had asked, "In light of a recent statement by the US Embassy that this country violated the Rio Treaty by allowing the Venezuelan vice president to land here, has the Government initiated any discussions with the US with a view to averting any repercussions?"

Citing the two countries' recent collaboration in a $663 million drug haul, Young replied that relations between the US and TT remained strong.

"The mischief that is continuing by certain persons in TT – and it started with fuel supply and then when that was explained, then talking about a plane and the manifest of a plane, and now this – I'd just like to put it on record that the US continues to be one of our strongest allies. We continue to have open channels of communication with them.

"Furthermore, I may just caution that all that seems, and all they seem to be relying on here with respect to the treaty, may not in fact be as they believe it to be."

Mark asked if the Government was aware of a US government statement on TT's alleged violation of the Rio Treaty.

Young replied, "As I have said, we continue to have open channels of communication. In fact only last week the US Government's top diplomat in TT – that is, the ambassador, not any underling who may or may not be speaking with the media – had a conversation with me as a representative of Cabinet. There was no raising of a breach of the Rio Treaty."

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

US Ambassador Joseph N Mondello said he had, in fact, raised the issue of Venezuela vice president Delcy Rodriguez’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago in a recent conversation with Minister of National Security Stuart Young who had denied it.

On Tuesday in a statement, Mondello said the visit was discussed in relation to the Rio Treaty.

“Normally I do not comment on private conversations with host government officials.

“Since the Government has spoken publicly about my May 6 conversation with Minister Young, though, I wish to affirm that I expressed concern to the minister in that conversation about the consistency of Delcy Rodriguez's visit to Port of Spain with Trinidad and Tobago's obligations as a party to the Rio Treaty.

“Article 20 of the Rio Treaty makes it unambiguously clear that all measures imposed by the Organ of Consultation – like the travel restrictions on Ms Rodriguez – are binding on all treaty parties, whether or not they voted in favour of such measures.”