BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is not currently violating U.S. sanctions when it comes to purchasing oil or related products from Venezuela under the PDVSA agreement.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas confirmed this during a press conference on Friday (March 28), explaining that while the Federation remains a member of PDVSA, it is not actively purchasing oil from Venezuela due to logistical issues.
"At the moment, I do not think that we are actually purchasing products from Venezuela, mainly because we've had some problems with approval of the vessel that will be doing the transportation normally,” Dr. Douglas said. “Approval of the vessel that would be doing the transportation normally docking here in St. Kitts and Nevis, there are certain specific requirements that were made and unless the vessel is retrofitted to meet those requirements that have been initiated by the St. Kitts government.”
Dr. Douglas’ remarks come amid strict U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and PDVSA, which have complicated fuel shipments. Vessels carrying PDVSA fuel must meet stringent documentation requirements to avoid violating these sanctions, which could have serious consequences.
"...at the moment there is no purchase of products directly from Venezuela," Dr Douglas reiterated. "I will check that, but the last time I was told, I checked, I was told that, and I will check again.”
Several Caribbean territories, including Dominica—which reportedly relies on Venezuela for cooking gas—are concerned about the impact of U.S. sanctions.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson emphasized Washington’s firm stance: "The United States will not tolerate any third-countries or their oil companies producing, extracting, or exporting oil and oil-related products with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. This is a regime that has consistently stolen elections, pillaged from its people, and colluded with our enemies. Any country that allows its companies to produce, extract, or export from Venezuela will be subject to new tariffs, and any companies will be subject to sanctions.”
When asked by SKNVibes News about the potential effects of these sanctions on small island nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) responded, "We have seen this announcement, and we are following related developments.”
