June 12 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government said on Friday that an oil spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago is putting at risk fishing in the region, as well as the environment.
“This event exceeds in magnitude the one that occurred in May and confirms the drift of pollutants toward Venezuelan waters,” the government said in a statement, without providing further details on the extent of the spill, which it said was confirmed by satellite imagery.
Trinidad and Tobago’s government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
In the statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry asked Trinidad and Tobago to take measures to “prevent further incidents”, adding that it “reserves the right to take appropriate action before the competent international bodies to determine liability.”
In May, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil asked Trinidad and Tobago for compensation for another oil spill that had affected areas in the far east of the country.
(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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