The flight which had been scheduled to repatriate 100 Venezuelan nationals will go ahead at 6pm on Friday, one day after it had been blocked as the Trinidad and Tobago government learned that the vessel being sent from Venezuela was under US sanction.

National Security Minister Stuart Young said Trinidad and Tobago was given the formal go ahead to facilitate the repatriation effort after reaching out to the United States Embassy in Port of Spain.

“We had a conversation with them (the US Embassy) telling them that we believed in these circumstances- the humanitarian nature of this exercise- we would like to know what was their position in relation to sanctions…overnight the Ministry of Foreign & CARICOM Affairs were able to secure, in writing from the US, that this particular exercise would not attract sanctions. Immediately that information was provided to the Venezuelan government.” 

Minister Young said he signed the approval for the Venezuelan State aircraft to fly to the Piarco International Airport on Friday afternoon, just before making his way to the House of Representatives.