Guyana to lead new group of global oil producers

Fabio Palmigiani
South America CorrespondentRio de Janeiro

Published 28 January 2025, 14:06

Guyana has been invited to lead a group of the world’s newest oil-producing nations, including Ghana and Suriname, starting next month.

Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat believes the invitation was made in light of the success experienced in Guyana over the past decade. The South American petrostate is currently producing over 650,000 barrels per day of oil in the Stabroek block via the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity floating production, storage and offloading vessels. US supermajor ExxonMobil has ordered another three floaters, with the next one, the One Guyana FPSO, due to start output later this year in the Yellowtail field.

“We are well poised with the arrival of the new FPSO later this year to be very close or maybe over 900,000 bpd,” Bharrat added.

ExxonMobil estimates production in Guyana to top 1.2 million bpd once the Errea Wittu and Jaguar FPSOs enter operation later this decade.

 

 

 

U.S.-Venezuela deportation flights begin under Trump-Maduro agreement

February 11th 2025

Venezuelan deportees are loaded onto a plane, in an image shared by the White House, February 10, 2025.

Two state-owned Conviasa planes departed from El Paso, Texas, carrying the first group of Venezuelan deportees under the agreement between US President Donald Trump and his counterpart, Nicolás Maduro. The operation began two weeks after Maduro met Trump’s envoy, Richard Grenell, in Caracas—a meeting marked by the U.S. flag flying again at Miraflores Palace. Trump, who vowed to crack down on immigration, personally oversaw the operation through Grenell.

“Let’s make America safe again,” the White House stated, releasing an image of deportees boarding the flights.

The exact number of deportees remains unclear, as does their legal status. According to a Venezuelan government statement, some were linked to criminal activities, including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

Upon arrival in Venezuela, authorities plan to investigate them. The Conviasa planes—each with a 114-passenger capacity—suggest that at least 220 Venezuelans were deported in this first operation.

Maduro, in his weekly program Con Maduro+, linked the mass exodus of Venezuelans to U.S. sanctions and proposed a full lifting of restrictions in exchange for halting migration.

“I told Ambassador Grenell: lift all sanctions, and I guarantee no Venezuelan will leave, and those abroad will return. Returning migrants will get their right to party back.”

The deportations also highlight contrasting narratives. While Trump portrays them as part of his crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, the Venezuelan government presents them as part of its Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan), suggesting they are repatriating victims of U.S. economic pressure.

Despite ideological differences, the Trump-Maduro dynamic appears increasingly transactional. The release of six detained Americans in Venezuela coincided with these deportations, raising speculation about further behind-the-scenes negotiations. Meanwhile, the continued renewal of Chevron’s operating license in Venezuela signals that U.S.-Venezuela relations could be evolving beyond deportation agreements.

TT Energy Conference

Mitigating and/or minimising risks inherent to the energy sector must remain top priority for industry leaders who bear the critical responsibility of ensuring safety of the frontline workforce.

This was the message from Mala Baliraj, chair of the Energy Chamber as she addressed delegates at the opening of the 2025 Energy Conference on February 10.

Baliraj expressed condolences, on behalf of the Energy Chamber, to the family and friends of Pete Phillip, who went missing at sea and is presumed dead after Well Services Ltd Rig 110 – where he was working – partially collapsed into the sea near the Trinmar base in Point Fortin on December 22. His body is yet to be recovered.

She stressed the need for continuous vigilance in occupational safety, noting that 375 companies in the industry are certified under the Safe to Work programme.

Praising these companies for their commitment to safety, she acknowledged the significant financial and administrative challenges of maintaining certification.

“(We recognise) that one of the major areas of concern is the cost associated with consulting advice and with training of staff for certification. Ccurrently it takes too long between the end of an audit and a certificate being issued. These are known challenges and these items are very much on the agenda of the Energy Chamber’s management and board and we are fully committed to the continuous improvement of this programme.”

To attract investments necessary for a sustainable future, the industry must focus on large-scale priorities like gas production and decarbonisation while simultaneously improving the everyday operational challenges that affect the sector.

The three-day conference convenes key stakeholders to discuss the industry’s future, investment opportunities and sustainability initiatives. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy were the feature speakers on Day 1 of the event.

New Chamber chair ready for Energy Conference

Vishanna Phagoo Feb 4, 2025

Mala Baliraj, chief executive officer of Massy Wood, believes she can bring a fresh perspective and a diverse range of ideas to her new role as chairperson of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago.

On December 12, the Energy Chamber officially announced Baliraj’s appointment as chairperson.

In an interview , Baliraj shared her thoughts on the significance of her role, stating, “For me, being the second female means that I get the opportunity to bring a diversity of thoughts and approaches—not just because I am female, but because of my professional background.”

Diane Seukeran was the first female to lead the Energy Chamber’s predecessor, the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce (STCIC), serving as president from 1994 to 1997. In the mid-2000s, the STCIC rebranded and refocused its mission exclusively on the oil, gas, petrochemical, and renewable energy sectors, evolving into the Energy Chamber as it is known today.

Baliraj is the first woman to hold this role since the rebranding of the Energy Chamber.

With the Energy Chamber’s flagship event, the Energy Conference, scheduled for next week, Baliraj, who has attended before as a participant and as a speaker, will be attending for the first time in her capacity as chairperson.

Baliraj said she is most keen to see what kind of discussions will arise on this year’s theme: Investing for the Future.

“I am most keen on the discussions that are going to take place as there is a strong line up of speakers that will bring insightful discussions. This is a unique opportunity for us to have a strong representation from the industry in this conference,” said Baliraj.

She added that she also looking forward to networking with the stakeholders as well as learning of the new technological innovations within the industry.

This year’s Energy Conference will be held from February 10-12 at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad), Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

Baliraj will be deliver the chairperson’s address on the first day of the conference.

When asked what sets her apart from her predecessor, Jerome Dookie, managing director of Proman Companies Caribbean Nitrogen Company Ltd (CNC) and Nitrogen (2000) Unlimited, Baliraj acknowledged their shared similarities but noted that her leadership style would differentiate her slightly.

She highlighted her 20 years of experience in the energy sector, noting that it provides her with a strong frame of reference to navigate the current challenges and opportunities within the industry.

“I had the privilege to work with a joint venture of two very strong parent companies and that has been more than a decade of my experience alongside other service providers. I feel I gained a strong understanding of all our industry stakeholders in the energy industry. We’re not just thinking about international and local clients but we’re also thinking about local and international service providers,” said Baliraj.

She explained that her 20 years of interaction with industry bodies and community stakeholders has given her a deep understanding of the sector.

Baliraj shared that she has set three key goals in her new role:

• • supporting the team,
  • harnessing the intellectual capacity of the Chamber’s members, and
  • ensuring strong delivery.

“Initially, I see my role as chairperson to support a team. We do have a board of directors that represents a wider sector and so for me, as the chair, it is just to make sure that we are focused on the strategic goals of the Chamber, how we are achieving that. The directors of the board are all very strong contributors and are sources of strong intellectual capacity, so I want to make sure that we harness that and benefit the wider membership. Thirdly, I want to make sure that as a Chamber, we take specific actions and deliverables when it comes to things that need assistance to make the industry more sustainable given the fact that we’re in a fragile position in the energy industry globally,” she explained.

Regarding the challenges Baliraj anticipates in her new role, she identified ongoing economic pressures as one of the key issues.

“There are several challenges I would say that are at the forefront but economic pressures is the first one that comes to mind when we think about the energy sector… profitability in the energy sector has not been in a strong position; we have seen a decline in profitability and that means we need to take action that supports and sustain growth and stability in the industry,” said Baliraj.

She continued: “Declining production is a headline in T&T, we see all of our operators are struggling with that. There have been efforts to reverse that trend but we do know it will take time and the time it takes to yield that result is a challenge that we are facing.”

Baliraj also noted that geopolitical tensions, both on a global scale and closer to home, present another challenge for her and the energy industry as a whole.

“These tensions do have a direct impact on the energy industry in T&T and for me, that is something that we need to keep a close eye on. I would say finally what I think about the concerns that we have on the pace at which things happen; we have new energy projects coming online but there are significant investments that need to happen to T&T’s infrastructure – we see some of them happening and these are steps in the right direction but to be able to really benefit from these changes, we have to manage a different pace of how we move forward with progress and making changes in the industry for infrastructure,” highlighted Baliraj.

In 2025, Baliraj expects new gas projects to come online, as operators focus on upcoming developments and cross-border gas initiatives to address the sector’s decline.

“I would like to see the refocus on renewable energy as well. We have seen fluctuations in renewable energy and I do think in Trinidad we are getting our ducks lined up in a row and I would like to see that conversation take a stronger step,” she said.

Canacol Energy discovers gas in Colombia

Canacol Energy provided an update on its drilling and development program in Colombia, highlighting discoveries made in November.

Petrobras confirms Colombia gas discovery

Petrobras has confirmed a gas discovery made offshore Colombia after analyzing data from the Sirius-2 well. Production could begin within 3 years of securing all environmental licenses, aiming for a 2027 launch if the discovery proves commercially viable, the company said.

 

 

Colombia seeks shorter timeline for offshore gas production

Andrea Jaramillo December 13, 2024
(Bloomberg) –

Colombia wants to shorten the production timeline at its biggest deepwater discovery, as it braces for a shortfall of natural gas in future.

State-run Ecopetrol SA and Petroleo Brasileiro SA announced this month the Sirius-2 well in the Caribbean Sea could triple reserves if the deposit proves commercially viable. While drillers see first production in 2029 at the earliest, Mines and Energy Minister Andrés Camacho says he’s working to bring that date forward.

Camacho told Bloomberg from Barranquilla, “We’re trying to advance the entrance of Sirius. Whatever month, six months, or year we gain is going to be important.”

Camacho’s ministry is working together with the environment ministry and other government agencies to ensure the social and environmental permits for the project are awarded in “optimized” times.

The Andean nation’s biggest companies are girding for high energy costs as dwindling production forces President Gustavo Petro’s government to turn to imports that could cost two or three times more.

Up until this month, cargoes of liquefied natural gas had only been brought from abroad to meet occasional needs from power plants.

Demand for gas will outstrip domestic production by 5% next year and 17% in 2026, according to Colombia’s commodities exchange. While the gap is seen widening further until deepwater wells start producing, Camacho insists substantial imports won’t be needed in the next couple of years.

 

 

 

Lee: Deep-water exploration should have been priority

2 February

Energy Minister Stuart Young signed two production-sharing contracts awarded to EOG Resources Ltd, alongside EOG managing director George Viera and ministry staff on January 29.

UNC Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee repeated the Opposition view about deepwater exploration being a priority for the energy sector, in response to the award of two production-sharing contracts (PSCs) to EOG Resources on January 29.

Energy Minister Stuart Young said the PSCs were for shallow-water blocks Lower Reverse L and NCMA 4(a).

“These are the first two PSCs that EOG has executed in 20 years. This is another tangible result of the work that has been done over the past few years. We have engaged with EOG’s leadership in Houston, Texas, USA and Trinidad and Tobago and this is the result.”

Young also recalled EOG and BP launched the Mento platform and topside from TOFCO yard in La Brea. Mento was moving fast into production and that augured well for TT.

On February 2, Lee said, “Deep-water bids and monetisation of deep-water gas should have been the focus of this government from their very first term, not in this last hour, months away from a general election.”

He repeated this should have been priority over government seeking to access cross-border natural gas reserves from Venezuela through the Dragon and Cocquina-Manakin projects.

On December 21, 2023, the Venezuelan government issued the licence to NGC and Shell to develop and export natural gas from the Dragon gas field to TT. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury, played a key role in granting this licence under the Biden administration.

Concerns were raised about whether the Dragon project could be in jeopardy after Donald Trump won the presidential election on November 4. The US$1 billion Dragon gas deal was first signed between TT and Venezuela in August 2018. It was left in limbo after the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2019 when Trump was president.

The Manakin-Coquina field straddles the TT-Venezuelan maritime border with about one trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven natural gas reserves.

In a letter to Trump on November 6, the Prime Minister said, “The Republic of TT and the USA share a long and enduring relationship, founded on deep ties across many sectors, including trade, security, culture and people-to-people exchanges. We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation in the years ahead.”

In his inauguration speech in Washington, DC, Trump said he signed an executive order aimed at expanding US energy production but gave no details as to how and when that would happen.

On June 24, Young told media none of the initiatives being pursued with Venezuela would be affected by the outcome of elections in the US or Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected in Venezuelan’s controversial election last year.

“We have legal documentation that secures us with Venezuela. We have legal documentation that secures us with the US government, despite who may be at the helm.”

At the celebration of the PNM’s 69th anniversary in Port of Spain, Rowley said the PNM negotiates deals with governments and not political parties, when it is in office.

 

Colm Imbert is new CAF chairman

5 February 2025

TT Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, announced he is the new chairman of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), at the signing ceremony for the Latin America and Caribbean Investment Facility (LACIF) grant agreement, for $24 million, at the Ministry of Digital Transformation on February 4.

As Trinidad and Tobago approaches a general election this year, he will assume the role of chairman for a year from next month. Imbert is the sitting MP for Diego Martin North/East.

LACIF is a European Union programme that provides financing for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The minister smiled as he made the announcement.

“I was reminded in a meeting with CAF yesterday that the chairmanship of the board of directors will change among countries and next month, the finance minister of TT will be the chairman of the board of directors. Sometimes I have so much to do that I don’t remember these things.”

He described it as a “great honour for TT.”

TT is the only full Caricom member of CAF. Imbert said there are other countries with applications pending for full membership.

The board of directors is made of representatives separated into three categories of shareholders – A, B and C.

This board establishes CAF’s policies, appoints CEOs, approves credit operations and the annual expense budget. The listing of the board of directors in CAF has Imbert, representing TT as a “series A” shareholder, with the Governor of Central Bank, Dr Alvin Hilaire, as his alternate. Imbert and Hilaire are also country representative and alternate for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Article 25 of the CAF regulations says the chairman of the board of directors is elected annually.

Economist and former deputy Central Bank governor Dr Terrence Farrell said the role did not mean any significant changes for TT or for CAF. He described the role as “non-operational.”

“As far as TT is concerned it won’t have any implications to us. It is not going to affect CAF decisions about whether to lend to TT or how much it is going to lend.”

Economist and former Central Bank Governor Winston Dookeran said should a general election result in Imbert no longer being minister of finance, the new minister would likely continue as CAF chairman until the end of the one-year term.

“I don’t think the office has anything to do with his political future in TT. More than likely there is a rotation, where countries take on the chairmanship. It is the country that was selected, not necessarily the minister.”

Imbert to chair CAF

…T&T to get funds for e-identity programme

2025, 02/05

Executive vice president of the CAF, Gianpiero Leoncini, Mr David Mogollón, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in the Caribbean and Mr Bernardo Requena, CAF’s Representative in Trinidad and Tobago met Minister of Finance Colm Imbert during the signing ceremony for the Technical Assistance Agreement. Leoncini and Mogollón advised of their anticipation of the impactful changes the digital initiatives would bring to Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region and underscored the commitment of their organisations to continued collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

TT Finance Minister Colm Imbert is to become chairman of the board of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) next month. Imbert made the revelation while addressing the signing ceremony for the LACIF Grant Agreement, in which the TT government will receive €3 million from CAF and the European Union for implementation of the interoperability platform, e-identity programme and government data platform.

“I was reminded in a meeting with CAF that chairmanship of the board of directors is rotated among countries, and next month, the Finance Minister of Trinidad and Tobago will be the chairman of the board of directors of CAF.“

Imbert, who confirmed that the Finance Minister will hold the role for one year, estimated the grant TT$24 million (3 million Euros ) will be invested towards crucial digitalisation projects.

“$24 million will go a long way with respect to the preparation for these three projects. The inter-operability platform, the E-identity platform and the government data sector and all the inter operability platform is, is simply allowing government ministries and departments to share information in a safe and secure manner. So you can gather information, you can share information, and it’s encrypted so that people can get into it, hopefully you won’t be a victim of ransomware attacks. And so with this e-identity programme, I don’t need to explain what that is. It’s electronic identity. So where, right now you have a driver’s permit, you have an ID card, this will be an electronic identity system and it will be regional.”

The signing was attended by Minister of Digital Transformation, Hassel Bacchus and Foreign Minister Dr Amery Browne who both hailed the push granted to T&T by CAF and the EU. Bacchus said the grant would play a significant role in developing and deploying digital solutions for T&T and the wider region, emphasizing the importance of regional collaboration.

Minister Browne noted while recent trade policy announcements have created a climate where collaboration between states is being challenged globally, this ceremony underlined the importance of reaffirming partnerships in such a complex global environment.

“Some alliances are changing almost overnight. Against that backdrop, it is always important to emphasise or share principles and to reaffirm partnerships that continue to make a positive difference for the people of Trinidad.”

The investment could be crucial to free movement within the region.

 

 

 

The challenge of energy transition

Dec 4, 2024

The transition from oil and gas to renewables for the Caribbean must be looked at differently to what countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) did.

So said principal economist of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean’s department of socioeconomics Dr Lian Allub while presenting CAF’s report on economic development, “Renewed Energies: A just energy transition for sustainable development” at its launch on December 2 at the Central Bank Auditorium, Port of Spain.

“Most of the Caribbean’s emissions came from the energy sector and to be able to make the renewable energy transition, carbon reduction was the first step. If we want to reduce emissions and we want to close the gross domestic product per capita gap with the developed world, the only way to do this is by reducing largely this emission. This can be done with an energy strategy that contains two factors:

1. 1. 1. emission intensity which measures how clean or costly each unit of electricity that we produce and
      2. the other energy intensity which measures how costly each unit of output is.”

He said in the Caribbean, 12% of energy consumption comes from electricity and 88% of consumption comes from other means but for the Caribbean to switch to renewables, renewable resources would have to be multiplied by 14.

But for these initiatives to work, a backup plan is crucial, and gas can play a key role in this.

For its success, he said the network size needs to be doubled but this would require a lot of investments in terms of energy transmissions.

“It does have some specificities about the tariff schemes and the entry conditions because most of the regulation was thought for fossil fuels and the renewable sources have some differences in terms of variable prices and entry prices,” said Allub.

He pointed out that the reduction can also be done through carbon capture and the use of storage technologies which will help during the transition without generating emissions. He said these could be done through green financing and innovation.

“Relevant authorities forecast that in order to achieve net zero emissions, there are some technologies that are going to be key that are still in the early stages of development so we need to accelerate innovation,” he said.

Challenges and opportunities

Allub cautioned that the energy transition will affect the economy beyond the energy sector and will pose challenges but will offer some opportunities.

“In terms of challenges, some countries depend largely on hydrocarbon production in order to raise revenue and export, and the abandonment of this can affect the economy as a whole. So, we have to think in different strategies in order to make the transition compatible with the development strategies of oil-and-gas-dependent countries,” he said.

Allub said the other challenge would be within the labour market as some jobs will no longer be in demand.

“Right now less than 30% of the workers are in these kinds of jobs but we observed that these kinds of jobs demand new skills and abstract skills. So, we will need to do public policy in order to retrain and develop the skills that the labour force will need.”

Allub said in terms of electricity supply and demand, “in T&T, the supply represents 50% while the Caribbean is 43%, and the demand is 45% in the Caribbean and 43% in T&T. In the Caribbean, only 6% comes from clean sources while 94% comes from non-clean sources. In T&T, all electricity is generated from no resources.”

Emission intensity was related to the supply of energy while energy intensity relates to the demand for energy.

“Not all the consumption can be served just by electricity, some of it has to be served by fuels because it’s not able to do some process with only electricity.”

Clean fuels also needed to be produced and he suggested that the region look into the production of food without expanding the agricultural borders because this can generate another kind of emission.

He also spoke about the high costs of hydrogen and said though the economies are not in favour at this time, the future points to hydrogen as a “good friend of the energy transition”.

“From the consumer side, we need to improve efficiency, modernise practices and electrify all the consumptions that we can electrify. The demand is composed of three main sectors. Within the industry, there are three industries responsible for more than half of all emissions – chemical, cement and steel.”

He said in T&T, these companies represented 37% of the demand emissions while transportation accounts for 5% of the demand emissions as well.

“In terms of transport, we have to divide the strategies into three sub-sectors, long-distance and heavy freight transport, urban logistics and congestion,.”

Maduro inauguration amid outrage over alleged election theft

US announces $65m bounty for arrest of president, who has led country since 2013 and failed to prove he won recent vote

Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent
10 Jan 2025

In a shameless and fraudulent power-grab, Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, swore himself in for a third term, despite domestic outrage and a chorus of international condemnation at his alleged theft of last year’s election.

“This is a great victory for Venezuelan democracy,” the 62-year-old autocrat boasted during a sparsely attended oath-taking ceremony in Caracas which leaders of democratic nations boycotted.

As Maduro extended his 12-year rule, the US announced a $65m bounty for his arrest and those of two close allies on international drug-trafficking charges and rejected Maduro’s claim to the presidency.

Maduro, who led Venezuela in an increasingly repressive direction since being democratically elected in 2013, failed to produce proof that he won the 28 July vote. His opponents published detailed evidence that their candidate, Edmundo González, was the actual winner thanks to widespread public anger at Venezuela’s economic collapse.

But on Friday morning, it was Maduro – who has refused to relinquish power and been backed by military and security chiefs – who had Venezuela’s yellow, blue and red presidential sash draped over his shoulders at the national assembly.

Among those who skipped the event in protest were the leftwing presidents of Brazil and Colombia, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Gustavo Petro, longstanding regional allies who have refused to recognize Maduro’s claim to victory.

Authoritarian presidents of Cuba and Nicaragua, Miguel Díaz-Canel and Daniel Ortega, occupied front row seats, and the authoritarian leaders of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, sent envoys.

In a rambling defiant 90-minute speech, Maduro claimed he was spearheading “a democratizing revolution” in Venezuela and cast himself as the fearless anti-imperialist leader of an “eminently democratic project” inspired by Latin America’s independence heroes. He lambasted his political foes as violent and “putrid” fascists and oligarchs, calling Argentina’s rightwing president, Javier Milei, a far-right “Zionist Nazi” and “social sadist”.

“I wasn’t made president by the US government or the pro-imperialist governments of the Latin American right. I come from the people. I am of the people – and my power emanates from history and from the people!”

Maduro’s swearing-in prompted a fresh outburst of international condemnation, including from members of the political left, which the Venezuelan strongman purports to represent.

“I am someone from the left and from the political left I tell you: Nicolás Maduro’s government is a dictatorship,” said Chile’s progressive president, Gabriel Boric.

US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said: “The Venezuelan people and world know that Nicolás Maduro clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency today. We stand ready to support a return to democracy in Venezuela.”

As fresh sanctions were announced in coordination with the EU, targeting 15 individuals linked to Maduro’s regime, UK foreign secretary, Labour party MP David Lammy, said: “Nicolás Maduro’s claim to power is fraudulent. The outcome of July’s elections was neither free nor fair and his regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people. The UK will not stand by as Maduro continues to oppress, undermine democracy and commit appalling human rights violations.”

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said: ”Maduro lacks all democratic legitimacy.”

Mélanie Joly, Foreign Minister of Canada, which formally recognized González as Venezuela’s president-elect, said: “Maduro’s shameless actions demonstrate that democracy and the rule of law cannot be taken for granted. We will not tolerate the erosion of the democratic process or the repression of citizens seeking to express their rights.”

The US announced it was increasing its reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro and his interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, for alleged drug trafficking offences, to $25m, and created a reward of $15m for information leading to the capture of Maduro’s long standing defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López.

Brazil’s president Lula shunned the inauguration with close ally, Senator Jaques Wagner, telling local media: “The relationship with Venezuela has soured”.

González, a retired diplomat who entered politics last year, had vowed to return to Venezuela from exile for his own inauguration . On Friday, opposition leader María Corina Machado, his most important backer, announced that he would no longer come after Maduro’s decision to activate Venezuela’s air-defense systems as a result of his…..

“delusional paranoia. Edmundo will come to be sworn in as Venezuela’s president at the right time when the conditions are suitable,” Machado said in a video message recorded at a secret location.

Earlier, top army commander Gen. Domingo Hernández Lárez , posted a video on social media of a Russian surface-to-air missile system being deployed in an apparent threat to shoot González’s plane down if he tried to fly to Venezuela.

Urging Venezuelans to protest, Machado insisted that Maduro’s days were numbered and that a democratic transition was “very close. Have no doubt, this is over. Maduro has consolidated his coup and the violation of our constitution. It is time to do whatever is necessary to restore it.”

González Urrutia says he is close to returning to Venezuela

January 11th 2025

“And to the military and police forces, I order the cessation of repression,” González Urrutia said as if he had officially assumed the presidency

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, for many the legitimate winner of the July 28, 2024, elections even after Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration for a new six-year term, said he was “close” to return to the country and called on the Armed Forces to “disregard illegal orders” from the Bolivarian de facto regime.

The retired diplomat, who has been in exile since September, insisted Maduro was “violating the constitution.”

“Today in Caracas, Maduro has violated the Constitution and the sovereign will of Venezuelans expressed on July 28, he consummates a coup d’état; he crowns himself dictator. He is not accompanied by the people, he is not accompanied by any government that respects itself as democratic, only by the dictators of Cuba, Congo, and Nicaragua.

I continue working on the conditions for my entry into Venezuela and to assume, as the Constitution mandates and the people have ordered me, the Presidency of the Republic and the command in chief of the National Armed Forces.

I am very close to Venezuela, I am ready for safe entry and at the appropriate moment, I will assert the votes that represent the recovery of our democracy, we are coordinating all the indispensable factors to guarantee the prompt return to freedom.

“As Commander in Chief, I order the military high command to disregard illegal orders given to them by those who confiscate power and prepare my security conditions to assume the position of President of the Republic entrusted to me by popular sovereignty.

And to the military and police forces, I order the cessation of repression. To the national institutions, I say: for the peace of the Republic, you must disavow the illegitimate regime that has tried to seize power again. In your hands is the institutionality of the Nation that embraces yourselves and your families,”

Maduro was sworn in for a six-year term Friday despite the fraud allegations regarding the elections. González Urrutia’s Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) published the minutes for each polling station giving him an overwhelming victory while Maduro’s alleged triumph was based on announcements from the National Electoral Council (CNE) later upheld by the Supreme Courts. The Chavistas are known to control both entities.

 

 

 

 

UK imposes sanctions on Bolivarian regime officials

 January 10th 2025

Maduro’s regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people, Lammy explained

The British Government slapped additional sanctions on 15 members of Nicolás Maduro’s regime in a move to encourage Venezuelan officials to respect democratic principles, to comply with international human rights law, and to respect human rights, the Foreign Office announced.

London also denounced the Bolivarian leader’s illegitimate claim to the presidency following the “fraudulent” July 28, 2024, elections.

“Nicolás Maduro’s claim to retain power is fraudulent. The outcome of the July elections was neither free nor fair and his regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people. Today’s sanctions send a clear message. The UK will not stand idly by while Maduro continues to oppress, undermine democracy, and commit egregious human rights violations. All political prisoners must be released and the ongoing repression must end. We will continue to support the people of Venezuela in their struggle for a democratic future.”

Among those sanctioned are Supreme Court Chief Justice Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez. Rodríguez, who helped legitimize the July 28 elections, and the director of Criminal Investigations of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, Asdrúbal José Brito Hernández, an organization responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses, including the use of sexual and gender-based violence, torture, assassinations and arbitrary detention of members of the opposition and civil society.

Individuals reached by sanctions will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes, denied entry to the UK and prevented from holding funds or economic resources in the UK.

The Maduro regime has been identified by international organizations as guilty of political repression, including politically motivated arbitrary detentions, and is being investigated for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

There are substantial grounds – including the findings of a group of experts from the United Nations and The Carter Center – that the results declared by the regime in the July presidential election were not independently verified or transparent, and there is evidence to suggest that the opposition candidate obtained significantly more votes than the ruling Venezuelan regime claimed.

When protests erupted following the elections, the state arrested more than 2,400 protesters, including minors, and the ensuing repression resulted in 25 deaths.

Systemic repression contributed to a culture of fear as fundamental freedoms have been eroded in Venezuela, and today the UK is taking action against some of the architects of this alarming political and humanitarian crisis.

As the UK government implements its Blueprint for Change, strengthening its partnerships overseas and working with allies to defend global security and democratic values remains central to its ambitions to reconnect Britain to the world.

Other officials reached by Friday’s sanctions were: Calixto Antonio Ortega Ríos (Supreme Court Justice), Carlos Enrique Quintero Cuevas (Vice-president of the National Electoral Council – CNE), Domingo Antonio Hernández Lárez (Commander in Chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and Commander of the Strategic Region of Integral Capital Defense), Elio Ramón Estrada Paredes (Commander of the Bolivarian National Guard), Fanny Beatriz Márquez Cordero (Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice), Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta (Supreme Court Justice), Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares (Supreme Court Justice), Lourdes Benicia Suárez Anderson (Supreme Court Justice), Luis Fernando Damiani Bustillos (Supreme Court Justice), Malaquías Gil Rodríguez (Supreme Court of Justice), Miguel Antonio Muñoz Palacios (Deputy Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service), Rosalba Gil Pacheco (CNE Principal), Tania d’Amelio Cardiet (Supreme Court Justice).

This measure is in addition to the existing UK sanctions against the Maduro regime.

 

 

 

Venezuela: Maduro sworn in for presidential term “of peace”
,

January 10th 2025

Nicolás Maduro was sworn in Friday for the 2025-2031 term after being declared the winner of the controversial July 28, 2024, elections.

During a ceremony at the Elliptical Hall of the Federal Legislative Palace, Maduro took his oath upon a copy of the Venezuelan Constitution signed by the late Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez. Maduro arrived at the Legislative Palace alongside First Lady and Congresswoman Cilia Flores, Executive Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother and Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez.

Maduro was greeted by the high-ranking authorities summoned for the occasion, including 13 foreign heads of State or Governments, such as Cuba’s Miguel Díaz Canel and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega. Also attending the ceremony was Bolivia’s Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa.

“I swear that this new presidential term will be the term of peace,” Maduro stressed, accepting Venezuela’s presidency for the third consecutive time.

The ceremony went ahead undisturbed despite claims from opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia of the Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) who insisted he won on July 28 and was therefore entitled to his inauguration Friday. He has been in exile since September and the Chavista regime had announced he would be arrested should he set foot in Venezuela.

Hours before the ceremony, Venezuela closed its land border with Colombia and banned all flights to and from that country, citing an international conspiracy against the Bolivarian Revolution, according to Freddy Bernal, governor of the bordering State of Táchira. The measure, which in principle will be in force until Jan. 13, is expected to affect traders and transporters who depend on the commercial exchange between both countries while restricting the access of thousands of people to medicines and food, in addition to further increasing tensions with Colombia’s leftwing government, which has already denounced Maduro’s illegitimacy.

Also among those disputing the transparency in Maduro’s alleged electoral win was Chile’s leftwing President Gabriel Boric Font, not to mention other administrations already recognizing González Urrutia as President-elect such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In this scenario, the United States upped the reward for Maduro’s capture to US$ 25 million.

 

 

 

 

Venezuela can rebuild relations in the Americas

Dec 15, 2024

By Sir Ronald Sanders

The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has steadfast support from many friends in the Caribbean and other parts of the world, despite numerous allegations of violations of international law, aggressive acts toward its neighbour Guyana, and intolerance of political dissent. Yet, these actions have driven millions of Venezuelans to flee their homeland, making them the second-largest group of refugees globally. Thus, the Venezuelan government has also created hostility from many of its closest neighbours in North, South and Central America.

This tension came to a head on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at a Special Meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), which I presided over as Dean of the Ambassadorial Corps. Fourteen member states of the OAS, led by Argentina, read a statement into the record expressing profound concerns about the situation in Venezuela. The concerns related to six members of the opposition who sought asylum in the Argentine Ambassador’s official residence following the disputed presidential election of July 28, 2024. Nicolás Maduro was declared the victor amid claims of electoral rigging by international observers and numerous Western governments.

The Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werhein accused Venezuela of harassing the six opposition members—Omar González, Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli, Magalli Meda, Claudia Macero, Humberto Villalobos, and Fernando Martínez Mottola. They are allies of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from running in the July 2024 election.

Werhein detailed acts of “physical exhaustion” and “psychological terror” inflicted on the asylees, including water cuts, electricity interruptions, restrictions on food deliveries, and constant surveillance of the Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas in which they have sought and been granted asylum in accordance with international law.

The statement was not supported by 11 CARICOM countries and 7 Latin American states which have maintained cordial ties with Maduro’s government.

Paradoxically, these countries have a strong tradition of democracy, the rule of law and free and fair elections in their own countries. These nations are also bastions of political and human rights, accepting free speech and dissent while rejecting the repression of political opponents. Their good relations with the Maduro government stem in part from gratitude for the assistance Venezuela provided after the global recession of 2007-2009, particularly through the PetroCaribe initiative which eased the burden of high oil prices.

However, such gratitude can be eroded by overt infractions of democracy and international law by the Venezuelan government.

For the 11 Caribbean nations to maintain credibility as advocates for democracy and justice, particularly when seeking economic and climate justice on the global stage, they cannot ignore breaches of these principles by any country, including Venezuela.

Therefore, if Maduro’s government wants to retain and strengthen the support of its Caribbean friends, it must demonstrate readiness to uphold democracy and honour the international conventions to which it is a signatory. The Venezuelan government knows better than anyone else that it has already lost the trust of many of its traditional friends in South and Central America, and that the countries of North America are already intent on isolating it.

One of the conventions to which it should show respect and adherence is the “Convention on Diplomatic Asylum,” concluded in Caracas in 1954 with Venezuela as an original signatory. Article 1 of this Convention states: “Asylum granted in legations, war vessels, and military camps or aircraft, to persons being sought for political reasons or for political offenses shall be respected by the territorial State in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.”

Yet, the Maduro government is accused by 14 neighbouring states in The Americas of violating this principle. It lies at the crux of the present tension between Venezuela and Argentina.

At the OAS meeting, Brazil’s Ambassador to the OAS, Benoni Belli explained the situation. He told the Meeting that since August 2024, the Argentine diplomatic premises have been under Brazil’s custody at Argentina’s request and with Venezuela’s consent, in keeping with adherence to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which mandates the inviolability of diplomatic premises and the protection of mission properties, even in cases of severed relations.

However, on September 6, Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization, accusing the asylees of having conspired to commit terrorist acts—claims unsupported by any publicly presented evidence. The Ambassador emphasized that, to date, no alternate custodian has been appointed by Argentina or accepted by Venezuela, leaving Brazil to continue its custodianship.

This impasse further deepens the international community’s concerns over Venezuela’s commitment to the Vienna Convention and the Convention on Diplomatic Asylum.

For Venezuela, this situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While its actions may be dictated by domestic political considerations, adherence to international law offers a path to rebuilding trust among its neighbours in the Americas. By upholding the inviolability of Argentina’s diplomatic premises and granting safe passage for the asylees, Venezuela can demonstrate a renewed commitment to the principles of diplomacy and international cooperation. This could ease regional tensions and open doors to economic and political cooperation, ultimately benefiting the Venezuelan people.

This issue transcends domestic political considerations; it is a test of Venezuela’s willingness to respect established norms and conventions that underpin global order. The international community has made its sentiments clear that compliance with these norms is a legal obligation. However, for Venezuela, compliance could also be an important step toward mending strained relations in the region. That is why the Maduro government should carefully consider the repercussions of its actions. Neighbouring states value democracy and justice too deeply to ignore transgressions.

Venezuela’s actions will determine whether it continues down a path of isolation or begins to restore its place of respect among its regional and global peers. The path forward is clear: uphold international law, honour commitments to diplomatic conventions, and respect human rights—values championed, particularly, by Caribbean countries. Taking these steps will ensure the safe passage of the asylees under international law. It will also send a powerful signal that Venezuela is ready to reengage with the international community in good faith.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries:www.sirronaldsanders.com)

 

 

 

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Haiti

Country Report No. 2024/333 : Haiti: 2024 Article IV Consultation

-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Haiti

Summary: Haiti is facing exceptional challenges. While security has deteriorated steadily since the last 2019 Article IV Consultation, it reached crisis proportions in the first few months of 2024.

• • Gangs controlled 80 percent of the capital during March-May 2024, paralyzing economic activity by disrupting supply chains, destroying much infrastructure, and rekindling inflation pressures.
  • The escalation of violence has destroyed human and physical capital and led to a surge in the number of displaced people and greatly accelerated brain drain.
  • The worsened security situation has amplified Haiti’s fragility, compounding its multiple shocks, including the pandemic, a devastating earthquake, political crisis following the assassination of President Moïse, worsening malnutrition resulting from the economic spillovers of Russia’s war in Ukraine which led to the food crisis, and repeated outbreaks of infectious diseases.
  • The economy is only very slowly normalizing. The first wave of the contingent of the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS)—led by Kenya backed by the United Nations—arrived in Haiti at the end of June to help re-establish security.
  • The new government, in place since June 2024 with a time-bound mandate through February 2026 (tasked with holding general elections), has a window of opportunity to implement reforms that could eventually help restore the country’s potential over the medium and long term.

 

Working Paper No. 2024/253 : The Dynamics of Trade Integration and Fragmentation in LAC

Author/Editor: Rafael Machado Parente,Flavien Moreau

Summary: Trade barriers and poor infrastructure play an important role in limiting trade integration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Closing half of the infrastructure gap between LAC and advanced economies could lift exports by 30 percent.

• • Reducing import tariffs could boost LAC’s trade, but its responsiveness is lower than in other EMDEs, particularly in the long run, due to the region’s specialization in agricultural exports with inelastic demand and supply constraints like growing cycles and weather conditions.
  • Amid deepening global trade tensions, LAC is well placed to withstand a mild trade fragmentation scenario, in which trade barriers are erected only among large economies.
  • However, the region’s output losses could be sizable in more extreme scenarios, where the global economy splinters into competing economic blocs and LAC loses access to important markets.
  • Boosting trade, including regional trade, could pay a double dividend of lifting growth in the region while mitigating risks from global fragmentation.

 

 

 

NGC proceeds with Dragon gas project

Dec 14, 2024

FLASHBACK: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and Energy Minister Stuart Young,  were joined by the National Gas Company’s vice-president of Commercial, Verlier Quan-Vie,  and chairman Dr Joseph Ishmael, along with Shell’s country chair for Trinidad and Tobago, Adam Lowmass, and general manager Venezuela, Shell, Elias Nucette, as preliminary work on the Dragon gas project in Venezuela began in October.

Amid the geopolitics surrounding Venezuela, the National Gas Company is pressing ahead with its work on the Dragon gas project and has no plans to stop, its chairman, Dr Joseph Ishmael Khan told media, as he and several members of NGC’s executive and leadership team presented the company’s 2023 audited financial results.

“From a policy point of view we are keeping and maintaining good relationships and we believe that at some point in time we will know what (United States) President (Donald) Trump really is thinking. At this point in time there is speculation.

Geopolitics has a high degree of uncertainty but maintaining some relationships, having our brokers and lobbyists and so in the right places and the right spaces I think that is key at this point in time. From a technical standpoint and a project standpoint, Verlier (Quan-Vie) will tell you that work is going on. Why should we stop? We have a business to run and we are running our business.”

NGC’s VP of Finance, Technology, and Risk Narinejit Pariag stated that Trinidad and Tobago holds the necessary licences from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury for both the Cocuina-Manakin and the Dragon projects and will continue to operate within the provided parameters.

“We do have OFAC licences for the ones that we are in and there is significant time still in the licences and we continue to work as long as the licences are there. From a business perspective we don’t have all of our eggs in one basket,” Pariag said.

Quan-Vie said that the work being done now will ensure that the projects proceed seamlessly.

“On the technical side, we are working and continue to do work because the data that we collect now—yes, there may be a pause in where we are, but it allows us then to be able to pick back up if something should happen. So, as you recall, we were nearly there (with Dragon) in 2018.

We signed a term sheet, work had started, and that work allowed us, when we picked back up in 2021 and 2022, that allowed us to be able to move much more quickly to agree terms for Dragon and work on Cocuina.

We are continuing to do the work. Yes, we recognise that there is the geopolitics; but the more information based on the technical work that we do, allows us then to be able to develop those resources.”

Quan-Vie said 28% of T&T’s ammonia goes to the United States and close to 28% to Europe.

“So there is still an incentive to ensure that these products, the gas comes to T&T and is produced quickly, cheaply and is able to go to Europe and the US and globally to help with maintaining global prices.”

Describing Shell as a prudent operator, Quan-Vie said all the i’s will be dotted and t’s will be crossed to ensure compliance with the OFAC licences.

“We are working on it, we are not stopping, the operator is not stopping, and Shell is a prudent operator; they will look at all the factors. They are working very closely with our minister and the Government to be able to ensure we are going the right way with the OFAC licence, and making sure that we are not doing anything to jeopardise ourselves, the companies, the country. At all times, we are working in accordance with the proper protocols as we go forward.”

Khan hailed NGC’s solid business model.

“We are cognisant of the challenges in terms of the geopolitics, but we are a business and we must press on. We must continue because at the end of the day, why do we exist? We have been in existence for almost 50 years because the Government of the day and the governments of the past would have seen the NGC as this key player in the aggregation of natural gas, and now moreso a key player in the integrated energy space; so we have to continue.

There is no stopping. So we continue to work very closely with the Ministry of Energy, Shell is our joint venture partner in Dragon and bp in Cocuina. We work very closely with our partners to be able to develop those projects.”

 

 

 

 

Abdulah: SOFA treaty creates uncertainty

16 December 2024

MSJ leader David Abdulah told media the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed between Trinidad and Tobago and the US sends the wrong message to the US, which can interpret the document for its own ends of expanding its influence in this area.

Expecting a ramping-up of action by the incoming Trump administration against leftist governments in this hemisphere – Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Colombia and Honduras – he viewed the US as reviving its 200-year old foreign policy, the Monroe Doctrine, which espoused a US right to intervene in places where its interest was threatened. He said it was a travesty that the SOFA (in its latest version, since those signed in 2007 and 2013) was signed on Human Rights Day.

The treaty was “a total betrayal of our national sovereignty and our dignity as a nation.”

Abdulah opposed any treaty to allow US military personnel – including the US Navy and US Air force – to have free rein in TT.

He supported co-operation between countries to curb drug-trafficking (naming the DEA), arms smuggling (naming the ATF) and human trafficking and money laundering.

“These are international crimes and there has to be cross-border collaboration but military agreements is a horse of a different colour.“

Abdulah said of concerns over SOFA, in 1995 a past government had signed a shiprider agreement, which empowered US personnel to enter TT waters if in active pursuit of criminals and even to come onto TT land. The Prime Minister had given no details of the SOFA agreement at his post-Cabinet briefing but had deflected on some aspects of the deal.

He wondered why the initial announcement of the signing had come from the local US Embassy and not from the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or National Security. The signing sent a message to both the outgoing and incoming US administrations that “TT is open” to a kind of US military presence. Noting Dr Rowley’s declining to give details of SOFA , Abdulah said the PM said it did not allow foreign troops into TT.

“Who knows what the US interpretation will be?”

Further, a future TT government might allow US troops into TT under the treaty, he warned. Abdulah lamented the terms of the SOFA agreement, reckoning it would excuse US troops from being held to account if they broke the law.

“One of the things that is allowed for is US military personnel to come in here, bring in arms and whatever other military equipment they may wish to bring in.

So it’s not just a ship entering TT on a visit, but they could actually come onshore, bringing whatever arms and military equipment and spy equipment and technological equipment and telecommunication equipment.”

SOFA gave US personnel immunity from local prosecution for criminal activity, but to be subject only to US lawcourts.

“This situation is very dangerous. It opens the door for us to be subject to US troops.”

US help during natural disasters was okay, but he opposed “umbrella military agreements” which he dubbed a figleaf to hide the US military’s “real intentions.”

While not criticising the American people, he said the US as a country was an imperialist power with colonies in this region, namely Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

“The US claiming to be a friend is no true friend.”

Citing current US support for bombing in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, Abdulah said, “Let us not misunderstand what the US is.”

 

 

 

 

US embassy shares PM’s concerns over SOFA article

The Prime Minister responded to the Opposition Leader’s comments on his refusal to answer questions about the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Trinidad and Tobago signed with the US. Rowley told media he was “disturbed” by an article titled Government signs agreement as White House ups pressure on Maduro – US can put troops in TT.

The article said the government signed five agreements with the US, at least two of which allow for US troops to be stationed in this country in the event of conflict in Venezuela if the TT government gives permission. Rowley repeatedly failed to answer questions about the provisions of any such arrangement but accused the media of misinterpreting the agreement and insisted government would not support any such move by the US. He did not offer his interpretation of the provision.

After the briefing, Persad-Bissessar criticised Rowley for refusing to explain the details and timing of the signed agreements.

“Once again, Prime Minister Rowley and his senior cabinet members are engaging in a questionable game of obfuscation, which is in keeping with their hallmark of lacking transparency and accountability in government.”

She urged Rowley to explain the part of the agreement that states that the SOFA will facilitate “interoperability between the two countries armed forces. It is not enough for PM Rowley to deem this interpretation wrong, but then refuse to explain or clarify what it entails. By January 2025, there will be a new president and government in the US – that of President-elect Donald Trump. It makes sense, therefore, to wait to see what the policies of this new government are.”

Rowley responded on December 13 describing Persad-Bissessar as “Chief Misinformer and Ready Mischief-maker.” He accused her of supporting irresponsible publications about the SOFA and said, …..

“She is interested in destructive mischief if she believes it can help her politics. She demands that the agreement be made public. This is the same agreement that was initiated under the Manning government and which was in existence during 2010-2015 when she was Prime Minister and should have been chairing the National Security Council.”

The US embassy says it shares the Prime Minister’s concerns about the December 12 article. SOFA was a standard agreement that allowed for military-to-military engagement between TT and the US.

“It allows TT security agencies to have a relationship with the US so as to improve the quality of TT’s security services. It establishes a culture of maintenance and allows the US to assist TT’s security services with maintenance and training.

The SOFA has been in place since 2007 and helped to facilitate good relations between both countries.

“The US is committed to providing humanitarian assistance and disaster mitigation and response. That is what we do, as good partners and neighbours.

The focus of the just-completed Caribbean Nations Security Conference (Cansec) centred on a regional approach to respond to natural disasters and crises. On December 10, US Southern Command (Southcom) Admiral Alvin Holsey donated disaster relief equipment and supplies, including a five-ton truck, cots, television monitors, generators, chain saws, and other tools, supplies, and protective equipment to aid in disaster relief.

The donation, valued at US$100,000, went to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), the Tobago Emergency Management Agency, the Borough of Siparia and the Cedros district.”

 

 

 

UK & IDB strengthen partnership for regional development

2024, 12/14

The Inter-American Bank (IDB) said the United Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to advancing sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean by announcing that it will provide a robust support package to the IDB.

The Washington-based financial institution said the UK Foreign Secretary and IDB President Ilan Goldfajn made the announcement at a meeting in Barbados.   The IDB said the package includes support for IDB Invest’s pioneering “Originate to Share” business model, as well as plans to invest up to £80 million (US$100 million) in its capital increase, with the potential of a fivefold increase in the UK’s share in the institution’s capital.

“This contribution reflects the UK’s confidence in IDB Invest and its track record of working with the UK to maximize private-sector-led development in the region,” the IDB said.

The UK signalled its support for the replenishment of IDB Lab, the IDB’s innovation laboratory and venture capital arm. The UK is offering up to £15 million (US$19 million) to fund “targeted initiatives in the Caribbean.”

This includes £5 million (US$6.3 million) to support the ONE Caribbean Multidonor Trust Fund, which provides a strategic framework for improving climate adaptation and resilience, citizen security, private-sector engagement and food security.

The fund promotes regional cooperation and aims to maximize resources, strengthen the capacity of both the public and private sectors to tackle development challenges, and leverage economies of scale.

The IDB said the fund directly benefits Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago. The UK is providing up to £10 million (US$12.7 million) to support COMPETE CARIBBEAN+, “a new programme that aims to foster sustainable economic growth while increasing the competitiveness of Caribbean companies.”

It also aims to promote climate action and gender equality by sharing best practices and the latest development research with both private and public-sector actors. The programme specifically aims to benefit vulnerable communities in small-island nations.

Goldfajn said, “The United Kingdom has been a steadfast partner in supporting the IDB’s work in addressing some of the pressing challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, we are advancing citizen security, bolstering climate resilience, and creating economic opportunities to improve lives and strengthen communities across the region.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the Regional Security and Justice Summit in Bridgetown: “As the son of Guyanese parents, I am living proof of the ties the UK shares with the Caribbean. Building our ties with these fast-growing economies in the region will make the UK and the Caribbean safer, stronger, more prosperous and more resilient against the climate crisis.”

The IDB said these contributions from the UK come in addition to the UK Sustainable Infrastructure Programme, or UKSIP, launched in 2017 and is a flagship partnership between the IDB and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

“The programme showcases the power of blended finance and public-private synergies. Through the programme, the UK uses concessional financing to support blended finance initiatives that enable IDB Invest to reduce funding costs for specific projects.

This is complemented by technical assistance from IDB operations, which addresses regulatory and institutional reforms to improve the operating environment for businesses. Together, these elements ensure long-term project sustainability and maximize development impact.”

Now in Phase II, the IDB said UKSIP recycles reflows from Phase I projects to expand the programme’s scope to climate adaptation, resilience and nature-based solutions, while it reaches beyond Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Peru to include small-and-island-countries in the Caribbean basin and Central America.

With potential UK contributions of up to £66 million (US$84 million) by 2029, including £17 million (US$21.6 million) already available this year for Blended Finance operations, UKSIP’s total funding could reach £177.5 million (US$223.5 million).

 

 

CAF approves US$15m loans for projects in small-island states

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) approved a financing facility for investment projects in the region to support economic, social infrastructure and climate-change-adaptation projects. The facility aims to finance pre-investment projects and promote institutional strengthening through technical support to guarantee the success of the projects.

On December 6, CAF executive president Sergio Díaz-Granados said the facility is intended to address the economic, social and climate change challenges facing small island developing states (SIDS).

“With this facility, we seek not only to provide financial resources but also to promote the integral development of the Caribbean, responding to the particular challenges of each of the countries. Our expansion in the Caribbean is driving us to be even more innovative and flexible to address the urgent needs of SIDS and channel the financing they need.”

Projects can access a maximum loan of US$15 million.

CAF said the loan process can also be adapted to adhere to local regulatory and institutional frameworks surrounding procurement, contracting and environmental and social safeguards and compliance in each country.

CAF recently approved US$250 million in financing to support road and educational infrastructure in TT.

On December 5, the bank said in a media release, “The school rehabilitation component will focus on safety, sustainability and gender inclusion and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Díaz-Granados added, “CAF has a longstanding, fruitful partnership with TT and we stand ready to support the nation’s thrust towards building resilience, which are key elements of these programmes.

“This new investment will enhance climate-resilient infrastructure and strengthen the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. We are confident this will lay the foundation for a more robust education system that prepares students to be global citizens.”

 

 

UWI vice-chancellor named chancellor of UN University

UN University appointed Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles to be its honorary chairman and chancellor. On January 7, the University of the West Indies said its vice-chancellor was unanimously appointed by the UN University governance council on December 7, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.

“The UN University is a global academy, headquartered in Tokyo, with research and teaching institutes in multiple countries. It is an academic and innovation think tank and research arm for the world community.

Noting that Sir Hilary has established a global reputation as a strategic planner in higher education, respected scholar and thought leader in development thinking, the council expressed its keenness to work under his chairmanship as the university enters its 50th anniversary this year.”

His mandate is to facilitate the leadership of the rector/vice-chancellor of the university, and to guide the council….

“in a manner that sustains the confidence of international and internal stakeholders, primarily the leadership of the UN, faculty members and managers, private sector investors, and students.”

Sir Hilary has had a long and senior role in UN affairs. He has served as Consultant to:

1. 1. 1. the annual UN Development Report on Latin America and the Caribbean;
      2. on committees on the global future of higher education;
      3. as vice president and historian to UNESCO’s flagship initiative,
      4. the Slave Routes Project; and
      5. as joint editor of Volume 9 of the UNESCO General History of Africa series.

He addressed the UN General Assembly, first in support of the declaration of 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent; and secondly on matters of reparatory justice in a multi-polar political and economic world. He addressed the UN Security Council, under the presidency of St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, on the subject of global peace.

The UN Academic Impact Committee voted UWI the global hub for Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action (SDG 13) on account of Sir Hilary’s lead in the establishment of UWI’s International School for Development Justice in 2024, aimed at delivering online postgraduate degree programmes on the SDGs.

He served as special adviser to UN general secretary Ban Ki-Moon on sustainable development, and current general secretary Antonio Guterres.

Accepting the appointment, Sir Hilary thanked members of University Council, representatives of the UN and other organisations, for their expression of confidence. He assured them that as the university enters its 50th year under the management of its esteemed vice-chancellor, and the guidance of council, it will continue to rise as one of the finest global universities.

He noted that his appointment is a signal honour for UWI, whose reputation and international connectivity will be enhanced as well as the Hemisphere and emerging communities.

 

 

 

Minister Doughty – “C24 is outdated”

but UK government supports OTs right to address UN Special Committee

Wednesday, February 5th 2025 – 05:41 UTC

Minister of State Stephen Doughty said UN Committee on Decolonization is outdated and no longer has a relevant role to play with respect to the UK Overseas Territories

The position of Overseas Territories, on the United Nations list of Non-Self–Governing Territories was recently discussed in British Parliament. The issue was brought up by Conservative Member of Parliament Blake Stephenson on January 30th session.

Blake Stephenson MP, Conservative representing Bedfordshire, said, “To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the inclusion of Overseas Territories in the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.”

In response, Minister of State Stephen Doughty said, “The Government believes the UN Special Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples [Special Committee], C24, is outdated, and that it no longer has a relevant role to play with respect to the UK Overseas Territories.

“For those Territories with permanent populations who wish it, the Government will continue to support requests for the removal of the Territory from the United Nations list of ‘non-self-governing Territories’. Furthermore, the Government supports the right of the people of the Overseas Territories to address the Special Committee directly. In 2024, the UK supported representatives from the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and the British Virgin Islands to appear at the Special Committee’s annual considerations of their respective Territories and stands ready to do the same in 2025.”

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Mangrove Meeting

Participants and stakeholders from the Second Technical MRV Workshop met in Trinidad.
Dr. Paula Cristina Sierra Correa, Research Coordinator at INVEMAR, presented the work done on mangroves in Colombia

For observers of trends to mitigate climate change, the term ‘blue carbon’ will be familiar. It is carbon captured by coastal and ocean ecosystems. These natural resources reduce the atmospheric impact of greenhouse gases.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine is deeply invested in the importance of blue carbon and the roles mangroves play. It was the main focus of the second annual Regional Blue Carbon Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Mechanism (MRV) workshop held in Port of Spain from November 11 to 13.

At the three-day workshop teams assembled from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Suriname, Panama and Colombia represented institutions including the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (Invemar), Colombia; UWI Solutions for Developing Countries (UWI SODECO), Jamaica,and Audubon, Panama.

There was one common goal: mangrove restoration. The importance of mangroves is rooted in their ability to protect coastlines, dampening storm surges and reducing the impact on coastal communities. Mangroves also foster biodiversity such as fish breeding grounds.

Dr Graham King, Director, UWI St Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, pointed to the value of the university’s MRV umbrella project which links these five blue carbon projects through in-person workshops. The MRV’s focus is to measure effectiveness of each restoration project at storing carbon and to agree upon a common approach. The face-to-face interactions also serve to build relationships.

Gerard Alleng, Climate Change Specialist, Inter–American Development Bank (IDB) hoped that, together, the participants would create “a true network of professionals, a core bunch who know about mangroves, who know how to investigate it, know how to explain carbon sequestration”.

Jorge Hoyos Santillán, principal investigator, Blue Natural Heritage project and research associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Chile, appreciated the in-person format. “The workshop’s greatest value emerged through networking with fellow researchers, revealing opportunities to both expand our current research and explore new funding sources. These connections open doors for larger-scale collaborative projects.”

Through a translator and while switching between Spanish and English, the teams spent the first day presenting their methodologies in their mangrove studies.

Dr. King observed, “We’ve seen that each of the projects has a slightly different way of measuring the carbon that’s sequestered” .

This is why one of the workshop’s objectives was “to enhance the technical cohesion of our MRV practices across the projects since it was important to ensure consistency and agreement on strategies”.

Consistent methodology will involve a terrestrial laser scanning approach to measuring carbon sequestered in trees. Researchers ascertain the biomass of carbon by measuring the height and diameter of the tree and applying a remote sensing technique called Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR).

Previously these measures could not be done without cutting down the tree. This “good data” is valuable to countries which need to prove their commitment to fulfilling theirclimate change pledges.

Dr King explained that, with The UWI leading the way with this technique, it is hoped that terrestrial laser scanning would become a global metric – a standardised, improved way to actually verify the carbon sequestered in mangroves.

Funding was a vital talking point in the discussions. In 2022, The UWI and the IDB signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement to fund the MRV system. IDB administers this funding under the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Blue Carbon Fund.

Participants learned that their funding had been increased but, at the same time, their deadline had been brought up to March 2026. Alleng explained,

“We are on a deadline. We are all under pressure to achieve. So, good news, more money: Bad news, less time.”

The participants spent the rest of the workshop discussing protocols, baseline mapping and carbon stock analysis. They also explored how gender equality and social exclusion indicators relate to their work since the Blue Carbon Fund has identified gender issues as fundamental to project reports.

A workshop highlight was a field trip to explore the Caroni Swamp by boat, bringing to life the impact of the research through Trinidad and Tobago’s own blue carbon ecosystem.

Hoyos Santillán anticipates collaborative scientific papers exploring the main drivers of carbon stock magnitude and allocation in mangroves from the region. Participants also planned for the MRV’s upcoming wetlands conference.

“I think of this as a great opportunity to get the work out, to get your ideas out,” Alleng told the participants. “We talk about carbon credits, but it’s just as important to generate a lot of important knowledge about mangroves, about these natural assets.”

 

 

 

 

Guyana partners with King’s Foundation & Qatar’s Earthna Center to push LCDS 2030

January 22, 20250

Universal health voucher
The Government of Guyana announced a new collaboration with The King’s Foundation and Qatar Foundation’s Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future. The partnership will help to advance President Irfaan Ali’s vision for sustainable urban development as set out in Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

A signature building will be constructed in Georgetown, utilising Guyanese materials, techniques, and local know-how combined with international expertise.

The building will demonstrate how cultural and environmental heritage can inform modern practices and will provide an important template for sustainable urban development and locally-led construction in Guyana.

Insights gained from this collaboration will be shared with other countries facing similar challenges, including Qatar, creating a global network of knowledge exchange and learning.

The two-year collaboration is one component of Guyana’s partnership with the King’s Foundation to advance the LCDS 2030 priority of Sustainable Cities and Towns. It resulted from discussions initiated by President Ali when he visited Scotland in October 2024.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, the Honourable Sonia Parag, M.P., represented Guyana at an event in Dumfries House in Scotland to mark the announcement.

At the conclusion of the event, His Majesty King Charles III joined Minister Parag and the other participants to celebrate their shared commitment to fostering global sustainability.

“Guyana’s partnership with The King’s Foundation and the Earthna Centre is another practical step towards making the next phase of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy as successful as the first” said Minister Parag. “As we expand the scope of the LCDS to include sustainable urban development, this collaboration offers an invaluable opportunity to advance innovative solutions that honour our traditions while shaping a better future for all.”

The initiative will also include projects in India, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, highlighting the shared vision of all partners to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

During the event in Scotland, Minister Parag shared Guyana’s experience in balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship under the LCDS, and how it is being deployed to inform sustainable urban planning.

Representatives from The King’s Foundation emphasized the role of traditional knowledge in addressing challenges such as urbanisation, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

“We have a long history of promoting traditional knowledge and skills to inform our future and how we build our towns and cities,” said Kristina Murrin CBE, Chief Executive of The King’s Foundation.

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of turning traditional knowledge into a living resource for sustainable development.

This partnership marks a significant step forward in advancing President Ali’s vision of sustainable urban development under the LCDS 2030, further solidifying Guyana’s reputation as a global leader in sustainable development and climate action.

Dignitaries at the event included His Excellency the President Julius Maada and First Lady Fatima Maada of the Republic of Sierra Leone; Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat; His Excellency Mbelwa Brighton Kairuki, Tanzania’s High Commissioner to the UK; and Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, Founder of Dhun, India, who all shared in the discussions on the importance of integrating traditional knowledge into sustainable urban development.

 

 

 

Donald Trump takes a wrecking ball to the federal workforce

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

A blunt Sharpie:

The US President is acting with stunning speed to remove or sideline hundreds of government workers while giving himself the power to fire thousands more whom he perceives as disloyal or ideological enemies.

He is working hard to destroy diversity initiatives wherever he finds them, including an executive order by President Lyndon Johnson from 1965.

The administration urged federal workers to inform on their colleagues if they are trying to hide DEI programs with “coded or imprecise language.” A memo warned of consequences for failing to snitch.

Trump also would like companies to abandon their DEI efforts, a move that threatens legal consequences. Target complied. Federal employees also must return to their offices for the entire work week.

A long shortlist: If we made a list of everything Trump touched this week, we’d have a book, not a newsletter. Here are some highlights:

1. 1. 1. A judge blocked the administration’s bid to curtail birthright citizenship,
      2. Trump said he knows more about interest rates than the Fed governors,
      3. he pardoned nearly 1,600 of the Jan. 6 rioters and
      4. freed hundreds from prison,
      5. he backed off immediately slapping other nations with tariffs, and
      6. he withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement, which put him into rare discord with his friends in Big Oil.
      7. He floated a trial balloon to shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But… could this be as good as it gets for Team Trump?

 

 

‘We don’t need them …’ Donald Trump

2025 01 20

by Mariano Browne

Donald Trump’s first day as President marked a pivotal moment for the USA and the world and raised significant questions about the challenges and opportunities ahead. He signed 26 executive orders and issued many proclamations and memoranda to “secure” American borders, “unleash” American energy, and end diversity schemes, among other things, thus signalling his intent to accomplish much.

He also pardoned the rioters charged for the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, a move that undermined the justice system. The New Times labelled his approach a “muscular vision of presidential power” (A20, NYT January 23).

After signing the executive orders, Trump was asked about relations with Latin America and Brazil and said the relationship “should be great.” But he made it clear who was the dominant partner in that relationship.

“They need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them,” he said. “They need us. Everybody needs us.” Indeed, his address contained no mention of allies, Ukraine, or climate change.

Participation in the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate was severed. Which other international agencies are the next targets? The International Criminal Court of Justice? If everybody needs America, that implies that there is only one winner, and every country is a loser. From this vantage point, foreign and domestic policies will be closely aligned.

President Trump’s false assertion that China runs the Panama Canal to the detriment of US shipping interests and his comment, “…we’re taking it back,” signal an interventionist position.

Beijing dismissed the allegation. The Panama Canal is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency of the Panamanian Government, not Chinese soldiers. China is the second largest user of the canal after the United States, and Chinese companies have indeed invested heavily in ports and terminals near the canal.

Two of the five ports adjacent to the canal, Balboa and Cristóbal, on the Pacific and Atlantic sides, respectively, have been operated by a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Port Holdings since 1997. CK Hutchison Holdings is a publicly traded Hong Kong-based conglomerate founded by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing.

China and Russia have made significant advances in Latin America over the past decade by providing security partnerships with left-leaning countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Through its “Belt and Road” initiative, China has financed major infrastructural projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, including deep-water harbours. Further, Russia and China have energy concessions that border the Dragon Gas field, the field for which T&T has a production and exploration licence.

In his address to global business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum on January 23, President Trump said, “… One thing we’re going to be demanding is respect from other nations.” He also warned that they would face tariffs if they do not manufacture in the US.

These first few comments confirm that his speeches on the hustings were not discardable exaggerations in the heat of an election campaign. They are aligned with the platform rhetoric of “America First!”

Adding to the gravity of those comments, Senator Marco Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State. He is considered one of Congress’s most hawkish members concerning China and Cuba and has been described as “Cuba’s worst nightmare” as a principal antagonist in the Senate.

Successive US presidents have prohibited trade and implemented travel restrictions with Cuba, and the few attempts over many administrations to “thaw” the relationship with Cuba have failed. The US trade embargo on Cuba has lasted more than 60 years.

Senator Rubio was amongst the most vocal critics of the Obama administration’s attempt to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba. Venezuela has been one of Cuba’s closest allies and has continued to supply Cuba with fuel. How will Trump and Rubio approach the Biden administration’s concessions to Venezuela and, by extension, T&T?

The USA is a great power in the game of great power politics, whilst T&T is a small developing country in a world where international institutions have less clout. President Trump’s opening messages indicate that the USA maintains its imperial designs on the region. Therefore, T&T’s first challenge is to be clear about our objectives and how best they could be achieved in an uncertain global environment.

How do we engage with the US superpower while maintaining a measure of our independence to pursue our relationship with the Chinese and the BRICS? There are obvious areas of cooperation with the US. Regional security, curbing the drug trade, and money laundering are key areas of mutual interest.

The migration issue will cause some friction. Since 1960, approximately 300,000 people have emigrated from T&T to the USA, the majority of whom were legal migrants. The US deportation of illegal immigrants will cause some friction and social dislocation.

The key issues are our relationship with Venezuela, access to the Dragon Gas field, and other trading opportunities with Venezuela. The OFAC licences will expire in October of this year. US sanctions against Venezuela may be increased, thus hurting any chance of accessing Venezuelan gas.

These are early days. A less hawkish, more reasonable approach to Venezuela may come. Whether that happens or not, T&T must consider its options more wisely and widely.