TWO MORE CANDIDATES NAMED FOR THE PNM

Regional media is reporting that the People’s National Movement, PNM, in Trinidad and Tobago has selected two more candidates to contest the general election due this year.

They are Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Randall Mitchell and engineer Christian Birchwood.

Mitchell is the prospective candidate for the La Brea Constituency. He received the nod over Jermel Pierre.

Both men were seeking to replace out-going MP Stephen Mc Clashie, who is not seeking reelection.

Birchwood, meanwhile, has been selected as the prospective candidate for the Laventille East/Morvant constituency.

The selection of Mitchell and Birchwood brings the number of prospective candidates selected by the PNM to 34.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held bilateral discussions Friday at State House.

The discussions focused on consolidating the agendas of both countries in several areas, including regional security, trade, energy, investments, and human capital development.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, and several Cabinet Ministers were also at the meeting.

Before the bilateral, President Ali and Secretary of State Rubio held a one-on-one meeting.

Regional

Rubio Warns Venezuela Against Attacking Guyana or ExxonMobile

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if it attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil’s assets in the Atlantic.

He was answering a question from the media at a joint press conference in Guyana with President Irfaan Ali.

The Trump regime has taken a hard stance against Venezuelan oil and gas extraction as well as its production and sales.

The US government has threatened heavy sanctions against countries that do energy business with Nicolas Maduro’s administration.

According to Rubio, any attacks by Venezuela will not end well for the Maduro regime.

Rubio, in his introduction, declared support for Guyana from what he said was the illegitimate, narco-trafficking government in Venezuela.

The Secretary of State declared the US’s interest in working with Guyana and hailed its opportunity to work towards cheap and reliable energy.

Regional

RUBIO CALLS ON PM YOUNG TO SUPPORT MOVES AGAINST VENEZUELA

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Stuart Young to support moves against Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro’s administration.

The call came during a bilateral meeting in Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday.

Following the talks, the US state department issued a limited statement, saying Rubio and Young discussed the Trump administration’s decision to name the dangerous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

Rubio encouraged Prime Minister Young to join the United States and other Caribbean democracies in limiting what he described as malign influence in the region.

The statement said nothing about the Dragon gas field, located in Venezuelan waters, which Trinidad and Tobago has been hoping to exploit with the backing of the US.

The Trump regime has taken a hard stance against Venezuelan oil and gas extraction, production and sales, by threatening heavy sanctions against countries that do energy business with the Maduro regime.