Venezuela denounces new hydrocarbon spill from Trinidad and Tobago

Venezuela has formally denounced a new hydrocarbon spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago, asserting that the magnitude of this incident surpasses a previous event in May. The Venezuelan administration, led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, issued a statement alerting to the "displacement of contaminants towards Venezuelan waters, posing risks to marine ecosystems, fishing activities, and coastal communities."

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Displacement of contaminants towards Venezuelan waters, with risks to the marine ecosystems, the fishing activity and the coastal communities.

Caracas confirmed the spill's presence using "satellite imagery" and indicated that various agencies have initiated monitoring and mitigation protocols to safeguard the affected coastlines. The government has urged the Trinidadian administration to implement immediate measures to prevent further incidents and to guarantee "full transparency regarding the causes, scope, and consequences of this spill."

The government of Rodríguez stated it reserves the right to take appropriate actions through international bodies to "determine responsibilities, demand compensation where applicable, and prevent the recurrence of similar events." This follows a May 9th alert from Caracas regarding a spill from Trinidad and Tobago that caused "serious environmental damage" in the Gulf of Paria, shared by both nations, and along the coasts of Venezuela's Sucre and Delta Amacuro states.

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Full transparency on the causes, scope and consequences of this spill.

Previously, Trinidad and Tobago's Energy Minister, Roodal Moonilal, had stated that no hydrocarbon spill from his country was visible. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil reported on May 18th that Caracas had sent multiple communications to Trinidad and Tobago to assess the spill's impact. Gil warned of an affected area of 1,625 square kilometers across twelve strategic wetland systems, impacting over five hundred fishermen and endangering four national parks. He also noted that over twelve tons of hydrocarbon products had been collected, and that between 2015 and 2023, more than 876 spills of various compounds had occurred in the region.

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Determine responsibilities, demand compensation where applicable, and prevent the recurrence of similar events.