The Guyana government is expecting a response, either today or tomorrow, from the Venezuelan authorities, on last week’s invasion of Guyana’s territory by the Venezuelan military and the subsequent destruction of two dredges.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Rudy Insanally told Stabroek News that he met Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Dario Morandy on Monday with regard to the issue, but Morandy had indicated that he had had no response from Venezuela about the destruction of the dredges.
Insanally said the ambassador had asked for extra time to obtain a response from the Venezuelan authorities since Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, President Hugo Chavez, was attending an OPEC meeting in Saudi Arabia and Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro was also out of the country. He said Morandy had also assured him that Venezuela had only the friendliest of intentions towards Guyana.
Insanally said he reiterated Guyana’s grave concern at the infringement of its territory and added that he was seeking answers and a resolution to the matter.
The violation of Guyana’s territory also included two helicopters flying into Guyana’s airspace without permission, after one dredge was sunk and the other blown up.
Insanally said since the incident occurred last Thursday a contingent from the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force went to the area and conducted their own investigations. The investigations, he said, confirmed that the dredges were destroyed in Guyana’s territory and a report was submitted to the Office of the President.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Venezuelan media have not reported on the issue, while sections of the Brazilian and regional media have carried reports.
Responding to the media on the issue last Friday Morandy had said the Venezuelan military had not violated Guyana’s borders, and that the area from which the dredges had been evicted belonged to his country. “Venezuela was protecting its natural resources and we need to remove all illegal miners from the area,” he had said, adding that the military had not used explosives.
Senior army sources had discounted Morandy’s statements, noting that the dredges, owned by miners Anthony Ramlall and Dereck Caboose, had been anchored in the Cuyuni River at ‘Iguana Island,’ an area that belongs to Guyana.
The entire Cuyuni River is Guyana’s territory.
Apart from this incident, Venezuela is yet to respond to the shooting to death of Guyanese Parasram Persaud at Eteringbang by members of the Venezuelan army on October 6, 2006.
Earlier this year, during the Rio Summit, Maduro had told the media that a report on the issue would have been forthcoming.
