A sharp political clash has erupted over Trinidad and Tobago’s cross-border energy negotiations with neighboring Venezuela, after the country’s Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal publicly accused opposition lawmaker Stuart Young of deliberately undermining national energy interests during an unpublicized meeting with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The explosive accusation came during the United National Congress (UNC)’s national congress and annual report to the nation, held in Couva to mark both one year of the current UNC administration and 37 years since the party’s founding.
Moonilal launched a pointed critique of the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), framing the party as an uncooperative, obstructive force that stands in the way of the government’s work to revitalize Trinidad and Tobago’s struggling energy sector. “That PNM that is known for their wickedity, they are known as wicked, clueless, hapless, obstructionists. Stuart Young and the PNM continue to undermine our national interest. I am told that he was in Panama, he got lost and ended up in Venezuela,” Moonilal joked sharply.
Going further, the minister questioned the purpose of Young’s unannounced visit, raising a series of public challenges for the opposition MP to answer. “He went there to undermine Trinidad and Tobago and the multinational companies. He went there to join another conga line. I asked him today, what was his agenda? Was it an official trip? Did he go for a lime? Was it a frolic of his own? Is Penny Beckles sending him there? Does she know he’s there? Because she don’t know anything going on in Arima,” he said.
Moonilal directly connected the visit to ongoing bilateral energy negotiations between Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and major international energy firms operating in the region, demanding Young end his disruptive actions. “Why was he there? To undermine Shell, bP, Trinidad and Tobago? He’s undermining our interest. And today I call upon him to cease disrupting the negotiations, agreements and discussions between our countries and the multinational companies to secure our energy future,” he stated.
He doubled down on his critique of Young, portraying him as a reckless agitator who puts national energy security at risk for political gain. “Moonilal wondered “if Stuart Young will now dust out the bullhorn and go in the Strait of Hormuz with the bullhorn to conduct sea traffic. Will he do that? He is a disruptive character who only intends to disrupt and undermine the national energy security of Trinidad and Tobago. Brothers and sisters, while he’s playing the fool, we were busy working in the Cabinet”, the minister said.
Alongside the political attack, Moonilal used the party congress to outline the UNC government’s progress in rebuilding the energy sector, which he said was left in a state of long-term decline after a decade of PNM rule. According to government data, oil production hit a low of 50,000 barrels per day in 2024, but has since climbed to 56,000 barrels per day as of April 2026. Output is projected to reach 60,000 barrels per day by the end of the current year, and major ongoing projects from operators including EOG, bP, Perenco and Heritage Offshore are expected to push production to 70,000 barrels per day by 2028.
Moonilal also highlighted progress in natural gas production, noting that after years of steady decline, the ministry has stabilized output and put the sector on a trajectory for strong growth. Eleven major gas development projects are currently in motion, including the flagship Manatee Plus development, Juniper Phase II, Onyx, Coconut and Ginger. Manatee Plus alone is expected to boost national gas production by 10%, he added.
One of the government’s biggest wins, Moonilal said, is the return of energy giant ExxonMobil to Trinidad and Tobago after a 20-year absence that began during the previous PNM administration. Updated exploration results are expected by September, and independent global estimates indicate the agreement with ExxonMobil could unlock as much as US$20 billion in new investment for the country’s energy sector. The sector is already on track to outperform budget projections, contributing more than TT$1 billion in additional revenue, and the state-owned National Gas Company has posted its highest annual profit in 11 years, reaching $3.2 billion, under the current administration. Interest in the government’s refinery restart program also remains strong, with new inquiries from potential investors received as recently as the prior Friday, the minister confirmed.
The criticism of Young and the PNM was echoed by Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John, who also questioned whether Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles had any knowledge of Young’s trip to Venezuela. John noted that she had never seen Young and Beckles photographed together, joking that “Because Penny is like the mysterious tombstone in Tobago. I’m from Tobago, so I know about that. Because she’s a leader of the Opposition without knowing it.” She further claimed that the PNM currently operates with three separate de facto leaders, and emphasized that the UNC has no intention of returning to opposition after the widespread hardship the country experienced during 10 years of PNM governance.
Turning to her own portfolio’s achievements in the UNC’s first year in office, John reported that the government’s road patching initiative has completed more than 2,055 roadway repairs, deploying 953 tonnes of hot-mix asphalt to improve infrastructure across the country. In total, more than 83 road infrastructure projects, ranging from general roadway maintenance to landslide slope stabilization, have been completed within the administration’s first 12 months in power.