Venezuela declares Persad-Bissessar persona grata as leaders agree to deepen ties

Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar is no longer persona non grata in Venezuela, with Caracas now declaring her “persona grata” following a meeting with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in New York this week.

The meeting, held at Venezuela’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, signalled a major thaw in relations between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued after the talks, the leaders described their discussions as “the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations.”

They reaffirmed the historic ties between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago and agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including trade, energy, security, disaster risk management, environmental protection, agriculture, tourism, air connectivity and culture.

Rodríguez also thanked the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago for their solidarity following the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.

To maintain direct engagement at the highest level, both leaders further agreed to make official visits to Caracas and Port-of-Spain.

The statement also noted that the Venezuelan side “indicated that the Prime Minister was indeed persona grata in Venezuela.”

Commenting on the latest development, political analyst Dr Winford James described the communique as a positive document of goodwill and said both countries appeared eager to reset relations.

Political analyst Shane Mohammed said the meeting signalled continued momentum toward repairing diplomatic ties. He said it demonstrated Persad-Bissessar’s commitment to pursuing what is in the best interests of both countries.

Mohammed added that the declaration that Persad-Bissessar is now “persona grata” underscored the significance of the meeting and raised expectations for tangible achievements in the future.

(Trinidad Guardian)