SIGN & WINE

At one stage, Rowley was held by a woman who danced rhythmically.

She held both of his hands and led him into a tight embrace with her, from behind. They both danced in synch with each other and the music.

The female dancer then held the hips of another dancer while Rowley still held onto her waist, as a conga line was formed. At the back of the conga, President Maduro also held firmly to the waist of a dancer, as the heads of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela swayed and danced with the women.

The dance climaxed the signing of a deal in which the heads of both countries put pen to paper to approve three agreements on energy which involve natural gas and oil production. President Maduro and Rowley signed three agreements for: I) A supply of natural gas from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago from Camp Dragon; II) Shell Venezuela and Pdvsa entering in negotiations to evaluate opportunities to reduce gas flaring in northern Monagas state, and; III) Agreement to obtain financing for a joint venture to encourage increased oil production.

Of the signing, Rowley said: “What we have signed today is opening up opportunities for various necessary projects in hydrocarbons.

These will see the door opened for Trinidad and Tobago to enter the international market (...) Today we take the gas to expand our trade opportunities together.” The natural gas from the Dragon Field in Venezuela will be used directly to service the downstream sector at Trinidad’s Pt Lisis Industrial Port Development Corporation (Plipdeco).

Rowley added that the signing was a “milestone that will enhance fraternal relations” between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

For his part, President Maduro said that these “historic agreements”, mark the path of peace and economic expansion.

He stressed that the people of Latin America and the Caribbean must play a role in integrating with Latin America, “through the strengthening the relations of cooperation and brotherhood.” “We are signing three agreements, working on our maritime borders with gas blocks and reaching agreements for joint exploitation (it’s a) winwin for the good of both countries,” Maduro said.

Earlier, on Rowley’s arrival in Caracas, he was greeted by President Maduro who invited him to inspect a military Honour Guard. Rowley was then driven to a memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony before being taken to the Miraflores Palace.

Rowley’s visit yesterday came after Maduro paid a similar one-day visit to this country in May, where a US$50M trade agreement was signed in which TT manufacturing companies would provide items such as food, toilet paper and soap to Venezuela, which is economic turmoil and political chaos following the massive fall in world oil prices which has crippled Venezuela’s economy which is wholly dependent on money earned from its energy production in both oil and natural gas.

Unlike the throngs of protests from Venezuelans living, studying and working in Trinidad which greeted Maduro on his visit to Trinidad, Rowley’s visit was generally low-key and went largely unnoticed by persons in Caracas. Rowley and his entourage, which included Minister of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Dennis Moses, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young and Minister of Energy Franklin Khan, returned to Trinidad last evening.