Venezuela warns of 'serious' environmental impact from alleged oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago

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CARACAS (AP) — Venezuela says an oil spill that originated in Trinidad and Tobago, two islands just off its coast, had caused serious environmental damage along the coastlines of at least two of its states and in a gulf area near the Caribbean nation.

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.