Prime Minister: Dragon gas deal not in jeopardy

THE Prime Minister says the Dragon gas deal is not in danger because of a decision by the US government to reinstate some sanctions against Venezuela's energy sector.

That decision happened after Venezuela's Supreme Court upheld a ban last week on opposition candidate María Corina Machado contesting that country's presidential elections this year.

At a news conference at Whitehall, St Clair on Friday, Dr Rowley said this development does not affect the Dragon deal.

"I am sorry to announce to those who would love to see the dragon dead. Trinidad and Tobago is alive and well and has a government that looks out for the interest of all the people of TT, especially the children."

Last December, TT secured a 30-year licence to develop the Dragon field in Venezuela's territorial waters.

The US$1 billion deal was signed between TT and Venezuela in August 2018. But it was left in limbo after the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2019.

Last January, Rowley announced that the US had lifted the sanctions to allow TT to extract gas from Venezuela.

He reiterated all of this to the media on Friday.

"Those are the facts."

Rowley said issues related to the political situations in Haiti and Venezuela were discussed this week in his meetings with US government officials in Washington, DC.