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The extent of the spill was disputed Sunday by the government of
Trinidad and Tobago, which said only 10 barrels were spilled and
it was contained the same day it was detected May 1.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said late Saturday in a letter
addressed to the international community that initial
assessments found “severe risks” to ecosystems in the states of
Sucre and Delta Amacuro and in the Gulf of Paria. It says the
spill poses a threat to mangroves, wetlands and the
environmental balance of the region.
The Venezuelan government requested information about the
incident and the action plan for mitigating and containing the
spill, and demanded reparations measures in accordance with
international environmental law, the official statement added.
Venezuela didn't say when it first detected the spill or specify
how much was spilled.
Trinidad and Tobago's government and the state oil company that
detected the spill didn't disclose it until after the complaint
by Venezuelan authorities. They said there was initial concern
that the "hydrocarbon material could cross the
Trinidad/Venezuelan border in the Gulf of Paria.” But they added
that the spill was quickly contained.
Venezuela and the Caribbean nation — who in the 1990s signed a
delimitation treaty establishing the terms for exploiting any
hydrocarbon deposits on both sides of the border strip — share
the Gulf of Paria, an inland sea located at Venezuela’s
westernmost end and south of the island of Trinidad.
Trinidad and Tobago conducts significant oil and gas exploration
activity both on land and in shallow waters, and is one of the
Caribbean’s largest producers, according to official information
from Trinidad’s Ministry of Energy.
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