Following the ceremonial opening of the 2026-2027 judicial law term on the steps of Port of Spain’s Hall of Justice, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar shared new updates on warming bilateral ties with neighboring Venezuela in an address to reporters Tuesday.
Persad-Bissessar opened up about ongoing behind-the-scenes planning for a potential bilateral meeting between herself and Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, currently scheduled for late September. The Prime Minister also publicly shared warm personal feelings toward Rodríguez, expressing clear enthusiasm for the prospective encounter.
“I love her. I look forward to meeting her,” Persad-Bissessar told reporters, noting that cabinet minister Sean Sobers is currently coordinating logistics for the meeting, which is being targeted for September 25. When asked about her willingness to hold the summit, she emphasized that her priority will always be advancing the interests of Trinidad and Tobago’s citizens: “I will meet with anyone who wishes to meet me for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. I will do whatever I have to do always.” She added that if the logistics cannot be finalized in time, the public will be updated promptly on the change of plans.
The comments come amid a fresh push to reactivate diplomatic cooperation between the two neighboring Caribbean and South American nations after years of stalled relations. Earlier this month, on September 3, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers completed a working visit to Caracas, where he held talks with top Venezuelan government officials including Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia. After the trip, Sobers announced that the two sides had reached an agreement to form a bilateral joint commission, designed to break through years of diplomatic and technical stagnation and move forward collaboration on cross-cutting issues that impact both nations. The technical working group formed under the commission will help both governments identify shared priority areas and deliver tangible outcomes for their populations. Persad-Bissessar publicly backed the trip, confirming it had been a success.
Addressing past tensions, the Prime Minister pushed back on discussions about her being labeled persona non grata under the previous Nicolás Maduro regime, instead centering the deep, longstanding ties that bind the two countries and their people. She highlighted her own personal familial connections to Venezuela, noting “my mother-in-law is Venezuelan. My two grand-nephews are Venezuelan. Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, we have very, very close ties. We are family.”
Beyond diplomatic engagement, Persad-Bissessar delivered a clear, optimistic update on the long-discussed plan to import natural gas from Venezuela, saying she is fully confident cross-border gas supplies will reach Trinidad and Tobago within the next 12 months. She cited the countries’ extreme geographic proximity – just seven miles separate the two nations – and pre-existing agreements with major international energy firms as evidence the project will come to fruition. “I have absolutely no doubt that gas from Venezuela will come to Trinidad and Tobago. It is the only funnel, the only place it can pass. We are seven miles away, and it will come,” she said. The Prime Minister added that her administration has already finalized cooperation agreements with energy giant bp, and is working to conclude similar deals with Shell, XRG and other major energy players.
Securing additional Venezuelan natural gas imports is considered a critical strategic priority for Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector, as the country looks to boost incoming supply to support its existing downstream petrochemical and liquefied natural gas industries, which form a core pillar of the national economy. Persad-Bissessar concluded by reaffirming that all bilateral efforts with Venezuela will advance the shared interests of both nations, saying “whatever has to be done, we will do in the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela” and that the public can “expect the best” as relations continue to deepen.