National Security Minister Stuart Young maintains that the March meeting between government and Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was, in fact, related to COVID-19. 

Addressing the matter at Monday’s virtual media conference, Minister Young said the presence of Asdrubal Chavez at the meeting was not unusual, noting that Mr. Chavez was not the President of PDVSA at the time. “Mr. Chavez was not introduced to us as any Vice President or President of PDVSA. That meeting took place on March 27th. It is only on the 28th of April- a month and a day later- the same Mr. Chavez was made the President of PDVSA,” he said.

His clarification came in an attempt diffuse Opposition claims that the meeting was meant for another purpose as was given by government. With Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar leading the charge, the Opposition has consistently called on government to “come clean” on what it calls ‘Fuel Gate’ in reference to the alleged sale of fuel to Venezuela, in contravention of existing US sanctions.

Minister Young said Trinidad and Tobago was protected in the controversial fuel sale which was intended to go to Aruba, adding that an investigation showed the Paria Fuel Trading Company  fulfilled its legal obligation. “There was the insertion of a clause- a specific contractual condition that the fuel is not for a sanctioned country,” he said.