According to Bloomberg, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kalma Persad-Bissessar offered Venezuela an oil-for-tissue swap.
During the meeting with the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro she noted that the deal would be a win-win opportunity for the two nations. Persad-Bissessar explained that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is ready to purchase paper tissues, petrol, and spares from local factories and then exchange them for oil from Venezuela.
Venezuela’s economy has plunged into recession due to a slump in energy prices. The government budget highly depends on the oil sales. In 2013 oil selling brought revenues of $114 billion and in 2014 the income amounted to $77 billion. Due to the currency shortage, the government had to shrink imports of basic goods.
Maduro blamed supermarkets owners for consumption turmoil and queues. The authorities decided to limit access to public stores. People can go there only on special days showing their passports or scanning their fingerprints.
