Caribbean security through hydrocarbons

Destiny has provided both Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela a wonderful opportunity to save this planet from nuclear war. Only requirement would be to dialogue so that Dragón gas deal goes through. Caribbean is experiencing stress as a side effect from Ukraine war. United States intends to deploy Tomahawk nuclear missiles into Ukraine. In retaliation Russia intends to deploy Oreshnik nuclear missiles in Venezuela. Any further escalation might lead to disappearance of human species. Maritime border between Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela separates lands that are close to each other. There has usually been commerce and tourism between both countries. In particular, Trinidadians have long visited Margarita Island on Caribbean coast of Venezuela.

Trinidad & Tobago faces issue of new gas fields to feed its existing liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Venezuela has ample quantities of such gas. A deal between both countries could be feasible if authorities begin diplomatic and commercial engagement. Venezuelan side however requires maritime security in Caribbean, as our country is threatened by military invasion from United States: which is a close ally of Trinidad & Tobago while Venezuela is a close ally of other main nuclear powers such as Russian Federation and China. In United Nations, Venezuela counts with approval with most countries that lean toward Russia, while Trinidad & Tobago enjoys support from countries that are mostly aligned with United States.

If Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago are able to decrease hostilities, and work for common benefits of an operating Dragón gas field, further diplomacy could bridge Venezuela's relations with Trinidad & Tobago's allies. Similarly, Trinidad & Tobago's relations with Venezuela's allies could also increase. This divergence is also seen at Caricom, where some islands support Venezuela while Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica geopolitically are in favor of United States. War on Caribbean is just a proxy of a wider war between Russia and United States. If local people of Caribbean countries, including Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela start thinking of our common Caribbean sea as our common sphere of influence. Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago could have an opportunity to deescalate and propose some common grounds prioritizing security.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad & Tobago would like more security to defend borders of Trinidad & Tobago, so that entrance into that country of illegal migrants and narcotics, and other kinds of prohibited merchandise is forbidden. If militaries of Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago, if Coast Guard of Venezuela and Coast Guard of Trinidad & Tobago start deploying bilateral agreements between neighboring countries, while maintaining as secondary their military alliances with Russia and United States, perhaps a better outcome would be profitable for citizens of Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago.

We will refresh investment opportunities of gas fields within Venezuela. Moving from west to east, north of Paria Peninsula and west of island of Trinidad lies Caribbean Sea: which holds Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre offshore gas fields, which are divided in four main blocks: Westernmost block lies north of city of Rio Caribe at Arismendi municipality of Sucre state. It is most remote from Trinidad and closest to major population centers in Venezuela, such as Rio Caribe and Carúpano. Gas exploitation there would be suitable if, on Venezuelan coast around San Juan de las Galdonas, a new liquefied natural gas facility is built: which at this time does not look like a priority. Moving east, we have Mejillones block, which is north of town of Mejillones, which also features deposits of gas reserves. East of Mejillones, we have block of Patao, which is north of town of Puerto De Hierro, still in Paria Peninsula. We approach Dragón which is main gas field sought for development, which is north of Macuro in easternmost Paria Peninsula. Macuro is South American landmass where Christopher Columbus arrived in 1498.

All these towns in Paria Peninsula feature miserable living conditions, which have entailed much of their population to engage in illegal activity: as tourism and fishing potential has suffered from a lack of infrastructure and a lack of banking credit. They need schools. They need roads. They need telecommunications. They need increased presence from the Sucre state government. They need increased presence from municipal government of Arismendi which is many kilometers out west in Rio Caribe. Mountain conditions of Paria Peninsula have made it very impractical to build a road on northern shore facing Caribbean Sea, which would communicate with gas fields. There is a road connecting towns on southern shore of Paria Peninsula, which is bathed by the Gulf of Paria: which is a Gulf shared between Trinidad and Tobago & Venezuela.

On Trinidad side, well-known towns on Gulf of Paria include port of Spain, Chaguanas and San Fernando. Easternmost point of Caribbean Venezuela is Punta Peñas and a lbit eastwards is Patos island, which holds a military frontier border unit. Continuing east you have Chacachacare island under Trinidadian & Tobagoan sovereignty. More to the east, you get to Chaguaramas and Port of Spain in mainland Trinidad Island. East of Trinidad, we go into Atlantic Ocean: after several kilometers of Trinidad sovereignty, we arrive again to maritime border between Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Again, Venezuela holds that part of Atlantic Ocean due to being north of Delta Amacuro state, where Orinoco River arrives into Atlantic Ocean.

Gas fields on Plataforma Deltana Atlantic waters are also close to Trinidad but on the eastern side of Trinidad have not been developed yet. But they are also of interest for Trinidad and Tobago authorities looking for alternative sources of gas, to feed their existing liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Plataforma Deltana block one is called Dorado Kapok and holds reserves of gas. Plataforma Deltana 2 is very well known: there have been conversations with both Chevron and Shell Oil Companies. Chevron on behalf of Venezuela, and Shell on behalf of Trinidad: so that they begin operations on Plataforma Deltana block two also known as Loran Manatee. Plataforma Deltana 3 is between blocks one and two, looking southward towards Orinoco Delta. It is a high acreage block and has not been touched yet. Negotiations with PDVSA are required for initiating operations in any of the blocks described, as they fall under Venezuelan sovereignty.

We also have Plataforma Deltana block 4, Cocuina Manakin whose abundant gas resources have already been of interest of Shell Oil Company through previous negotiations Trinidad & Tobago engaged with authorization of Venezuelan government, in the good old days when we had OFAC licenses and there was no military deployment in Caribbean. Such conversations should resume whenever feasible. Easternmost block on is Plataform Deltana block five, which extends all way east into disputed Essequibo maritime extension. We don't know exact easternmost limit of Plataforma Deltana 5, because Venezuelan and Guyanese maritime borders have not been defined yet: as a consequence of old land Essequibo dispute.

It is necessary that Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Venezuela dialogue: for coordination to exploit our common Caribbean resources. Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela need a common oil and gas strategy: including processing and refining so that we get a unified voice that projects power within negotiations with Chevron, Shell, British Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Total and other international petroleum majors. Plataforma Deltana block 5 is huge. If you continue east under Guyana controlled maritime space, you would get into Stabroek offshore fields, which have excellent deposits of hydrocarbons currently exploited by an association of ExxonMobil, Chevron. and China National Oil Company. Looking back into Trinidad, south of city of San Fernando, you get to city of Icacos, whose beach is relatively close to Pedernales in Delta Amakuro State in Venezuela, as you would have to cross again maritime international border.

It would be useful if negotiations between Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela include a new ferry line, that will connect towns of Icacos in Trinidad and Pedernales in Delta Amacuro, Venezuela. Pedernales has a legacy oil and gas facility, which should also be considered for refurbishing as city of Pedernales is headquarters for Venezuelan exploitation of gas blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Plataforma Deltana. That means if Shell or Chevron would like to explore resources at Loran Manatee, Dorado Kapok, CoCuina Manakin, Plataform Deltana 3 or Plataforma Deltana 5, they should consider investing into city of Pedernales to improve its schools, hospitals and a possible road into Tucupita, which is capital of Delta Amacuro state. Most transport is done by boats across the Orinoco River. However, land transportation and perhaps a pipeline would be necessary as requirements for development of Plataforma Deltana increase.

If you continue deep into Venezuela's south to the southernmost part of Delta Amacuro state and turn west into Monagas, you get into the Orinoco River, at the world famous Orinoco Belt Carabobo block, which should also be an interesting opportunity for Trinidad & Tobago to offer investment opportunities for Venezuela. We seek that both Venezuelans and Trinidadians & Tobagoans are satisfied with a mutually beneficial deal. Blocks for easternmost part of Carabobo Orinoco oil belt fields have not been allocated yet. Only western part of Carabobo fields, in less remote areas of Monagas state are prioritized. Ending section of Orinoco belt, which is mostly in eastern Monagas and a small portion of southern Delta Amacuro state, remain unassigned.

It would be glorious that Trinidad & Tobago, along with an offer for Dragón, Loran Manatee and Cocuina Manakin also offer development opportunities for Pedernales, Carabobo Orinoco Belt, and perhaps Patao or Mejillones. There are plenty of investment opportunities for Trinidad & Tobago into Venezuela. We must remember that both President Nicolás Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez have repeatedly stated that they are open for investment, from anywhere in the world. Unfortunately geopolitical times we endure right now are stressing security. Venezuelan side is interested in security provided by our military, with help of equipment arriving from China, Iran and Russia to counter United States military. While Trinidad and Tobago's approach to security: is to make sure that no narcotics and no illegal immigrants arrive from Venezuela.

Both countries have a point. Both countries have valid concerns. We must seek whatever little window of understanding there is, because Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela are partners in Caricom and Celac. We should no longer tolerate that Caricom is a divided Caribbean organization, in order to increase relationships of both Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela: with rest of Caribbean. We should also explore oil and gas investment opportunities in Grenada, where many deposits have been discovered. Jamaica holds recently discovered huge deposits. Cuba also holds huge deposits, recently discovered North of Varadero Beach. Across Central America, we have Spanish Lookout oil field near Belmopan in Belize, a country welcoming investment in its oil industry.

Venezuela thanks Belize for its support during Venezuela United States issue, which contrasts with neighboring Guatemala which also has oil and gas fields in Xan Petén, close to border of Belize. We have situation that Guatemala and Belize are usually at odds, just as Venezuela and Guyana are at odds. But we have good relations between Belize and Venezuela, each of them speaks a different language. You have good relations between Panama and Guyana, which also speak different languages. It doesn't make any sense that in Caribbean, geopolitics have made us fight between ourselves: within geopolitical divisions that do not necessarily correspond to languages spoken by populations of affected Caribbean and Central American countries.

Trinidad & Tobago, along with Venezuela, should also consider investment on oil and gas deposits available in Grenada, Jamaica, Cuba, Belize, and Guatemala. Looking east of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, we have our sister countries of Suriname and Guyana, both of which have excellent deposits of hydrocarbons: whose industries are rapidly being developed. Even though business conditions for Guyana are increasingly seen as unfavorable, a point that Venezuela tends to point out, Venezuelan authorities are likely concerned that Trinidad & Tobago will seek exploiting Venezuelan gas and oil resources at a predatory manner: in the fashion ExxonMobil does in Guyana, which by this time should probably not be the case.

It is urgent for Caricom to convene a regional meeting, so that all countries described plus other consumer countries that would be benefited: such as Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Haiti and Dominican Republic might decrease price of imports of oil and gas, as many of these countries are set to produce hydrocarbons in near future. Hydrocarbons industry products can have a sovereign and unified stance, on how to develop and how to market. If Caribbean countries can unite among ourselves little by little, our military problems will de escalate. Even militarily, this would be a sound option for us: if commercial interests of Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago and later Guyana start converging, we might soon speak of a Caribbean defense treaty that would sum up best of Venezuelan, Russian, Chinese, and Iranian made capabilities of weapons, along with United States capabilities provided to Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.

Caribbean could count on modern, most diverse inventory of military equipment worldwide. We would be able to increasingly defend ourselves, through our own means: rather than being in this uncomfortable situation where Prime Minister Kamla Persa-Bissessar has to speak to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has to speak to Russian Foreign Secretary Lavrov. God bless Trinidad & Tobago. God bless Guyana. And God bless Venezuela. Let's pray that everything will work out well. I like strength shown by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar when she, against all odds, secured an OFAC license for Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela coming from Marco Rubio, while everyone else was thinking it was going to be impossible.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is invited to continue setting high standards in her goals. She will probably be met with formidable resistance by Venezuelan government officials: such as President Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, President of Pdvsa, Héctor Obregón, and Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino López, as all of them have legitimate concerns on not being screwed up on terms of deals, They avoid being screwed up on military incursions by United States that may be hiding behind gracious conciliatory tone of Trinidad & Tobago authorities.

Venezuela should stress out that OFAC licenses, if they are not to allow cash payments to Venezuela, they should at least ensure that needed developments in roads, schools, hospitals, refineries and pipelines are available for Pdvsa, and Venezuelan population which desperately needs economic development. Macuro, Güiria and Mejillones in Paria Peninsula endure extreme poverty conditions. They are in urgent need of investment so that their populations can have opportunities for economic development, away from illegal activities.