Moonilal: US tired of TT breaching international laws

THE US Government is getting weary of TT’s breaching of international law with impunity, at least that’s the view of Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal.

Moonilal made the comment during his argument in Parliament on Friday during the motion to adopt the adopt report of the standing finance committee, which is seeking to increase the budget of 2020 by over 2 billion arising out of the expenses associated with the pandemic.

The Opposition has continuously warned that TT flouted the Rio Treaty, which speaks to security concerns within the region. The fallout came following a visit to TT by Venezuelan officials and the sale of fuel to Aruba that ended up in US sanctioned Venezuela.

In March, Venezuela’s VP Delcy Rodriguez visited TT and met with the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members. Also present at the meeting, which was said to be covid19 related, was Asdrubal Chavez, who subsequent to the meeting, became president of Venezuela’s state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

The US, through their TT envoy Joseph Mondello, publicly expressed concerns about the meeting. During a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) on Wednesday, Julie J Chung, US principal deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, told local businesses to comply with the sanctions the US has imposed against Venezuela.

Moonilal said the country was not at risk of sanctions rather, it was the politicians that met with Rodriquez and others and the state board officials that sold the fuel will be sanctioned. He added that TT is not concerned with the Government and sanctions but are concerned with food and jobs.

Moonilal at the time was responding to Dr Rowley who earlier criticized the Opposition for their insistence on sanctions being brought on the country because of the prevailing circumstances.

Rowley was assisted by National Security Minister, Stuart Young who was at the meeting and who labelled Moonilal as a “court jester.”

“If I sound angry it’s because I am. I come every week to hear them call for sanctions and he (Moonilal) called for sanctions that is their plan, they have a scorch and burn technique if we can’t rule then burn it to the ground” Young said.

He added that any citizen who will side with another country over their own was the worst thing any citizen can do.

Young added: “I stand here hopefully for the last time but I am pretty sure it will not be the last time and to plead with my friends on the next side, stop calling for the worse on TT. Stop calling for sanctions on TT. Stop talking and making things up.”

To date the US has not said that TT is in any threat of being sanctioned as a result of an apparent breach of the Rio Treaty through the sale of fuel that ended up in Venezuela or the visit by Rodriguez and her delegation.