Several Caribbean rulers agreed to resume the PetroCaribe program for Venezuela to supply them with fuel, while asking the United States (USA) to remove sanctions against the country.
This was reported this Wednesday by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalveswho explained that this new plan is due to the high cost of fuel worldwide, especially due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
According to Gonsalves in a statement, this agreement will benefit the independent countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), but also other member countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), whose annual summit ended the day before in Suriname.
PetroCaribe, launched by then President Hugo Chávez in 2005, stipulated that Venezuela supply oil to Caribbean countries at flexible prices and with payment facilities, but the program was suspended due to US sanctions.
In April, the Caribbean president affirmed that Nicolás Maduro, agreed to restart the PetroCaribe program with a 35% discount on the sale price of fuel.
At that time, the media in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reported that said discount would be applicable to the country and to other members of the OECS.
Governors will insist on the US
Gonsalves announced that they will ask the US to lift certain sanctions imposed against Venezuela, particularly those that make it difficult to resume the PetroCaribe service.
These sanctions affect transport agreements and payment processes, mentioned the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
In June, the Prime Ministers of the Bahamas, Phillip Davis, and Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, also urged the United States to lift the embargo that prevents Venezuela from exporting its oil in order to alleviate the impact in the Caribbean of the global increase in energy prices.
The previous US president, Donald Trump, imposed numerous rounds of economic sanctions against the Venezuelan state, but in May the government of Joe Biden announced that it will lift some of those punitive measures.
