PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago government says it has dealt adequately with an oil spill that had been detected at the start of this month, even as Venezuela complained to the international community that the spill had caused environmental damage in the Gulf of Paria and along coastal areas of Sucre and Delta Amacuro.

“Evaluations carried out by Venezuelan authorities show severe risks to mangroves, wetlands, marine fauna and strategic hydrobiological resources for food security and the ecological balance of the region. Likewise, impacts have been recorded on vulnerable species and ecosystems of high environmental sensitivity,” Venezuela said in a statement over the weekend.

The South American country said that it had instructed its foreign ministry to immediately request all pertinent information regarding the incident, as well as the corresponding action plan for the mitigation and containment of the spill, as it also demanded “compliance with the obligations established in international environmental law and the urgent adoption of reparation measures for the damage caused”.