MADURO’S STRANGE SILENCE OVER GAS DEAL

VENEZUELA’S Nicholas Maduro Government has thrown a blanket of silence over the United States’ decision to permit exploration of the cross-border Dragon gas field.

Maduro has not uttered a word on the major move by the American authorities, the State-run Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) is silent, and there has not been any coverage in the country’s media.

The Venezuelan embassy in Port of Spain has been similarly mum on the matter.

There has been no communication between the Venezuelan and Trinidad and Tobago authorities, fuelling speculation that the Maduro Administration is extremely unhappy with the deal.

Venezuela’s Oil Minister Nelson Martinez, who has been heralding the Dragon project since it was confirmed with T&T in March 2017, has been tight-lipped on the US’ permission to explore the field.

Diplomatic sources say that Maduro’s strange silence stems from being distressed about not being consulted by the Americans and that the decision was not accompanied by the lifting of economic sanctions.

Opposition parliamentarian Rushton Paray has challenged Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley to say whether there have been any exchanges on the matter with the Venezuelan authorities.

“Silence is not an option for the Prime Minister,” Paray said, and added that Rowley should indicate a broad timeline for developing the lucrative gas field.

In addition to the lack of response from the Venezuelans, there is disquiet on the matter in Jamaica.

Jamaica’s Energy Minister Daryl Vaz told his country’s media he has not been informed of the US consent.

“It is difficult to see Jamaica mentioned in something like this and the Government is totally unaware,” Vaz told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

Earlier, Rowley had said that gas from the Dragon field would be exported to Jamaica and Dominican Republic.

Vaz said that Petrojam, his country’s refinery operator, is also in the dark on the matter.

For his part, Rowley has sought to diffuse excitement on the deal, after his initial flush of excitement.

He said that “it will take a little while” to bring the field to market.

But energy experts say that Maduro’s indifference on the matter has placed Rowley in a tight spot.

The decision of the Biden Administration was announced through the Treasury Department and was touted as a single measure to easing American sanctions against Venezuela.

The US stressed that the Maduro Government would not be permitted to receive any cash payments from the project and that all remaining sanctions would be unchanged and enforced.

The fact that Jamaica has been left out of the picture is noteworthy since negotiations for freeing up the field was a Caricom initiative.

Regional leaders had engaged in diplomacy with US Vice President Kamala Harris and other US officials and had made a pitch at last year’s Summit of the Americas, held in Los Angeles.

The Caricom bosses had said the gas field would enhance regional energy security.

PDVSA had previously revealed reserves of 4.2 trillion cubic feet (TCF) on the Venezuelan side of its maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago.