Two miners were shot and several others beaten on Wednesday night when a band of gunmen said to be Venezuelan nationals descended on the Arau waterfront in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni area demanding gold.
Robert Wilson, 23, of Eteringbang was shot in the upper left leg and Damian Harris, 22, of Lamaha Embankment sustained a gunshot wound to his upper right leg and his groin. The men were air-dashed to the city yesterday morning, arriving at the Ogle Aerodrome just before noon. They are currently patients at the Georgetown hospital.
Up to press time last evening the gunmen who had also robbed several other miners and a few shops in the area, were still on the run. The police were said to be following up leads.
The incident occurred on Guyana’s side of the border with Venezuela and it is suspected that the gunmen came from the neighbouring country since a few of them spoke Spanish. In a press release police said the incident occurred at Mango Landing, Wenamu River around 6.30 pm. Harris was on his way to a shop at the said location when he was held at gunpoint by a man who was among a group of nine men. The Spanish-speaking gunman reportedly demanded gold from Harris and after he gave him seven grammes, the bandit demanded more.
When Harris told him he did not have more the man discharged two rounds, injuring him. The gunman then shot Wilson but both men escaped and hid in the bushes.
Police said Harris’s employer took him and Wilson to the police station at Eteringbang where they were treated by a medex from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and later flown to the city in a GDF aircraft.
Commander of the interior areas, Gavin Primo, in an invited comment told Stabroek News that a report was made and the gunmen were said to be Venezuelans. Primo said he has no information about how the men fled the area but all leads are being pursued in an effort to capture them. There have been no reports of anyone seeing a vessel coming from the direction of Venezuela prior to the attack though the incident has once again highlighted the need for improved security at the borders and at other interior locations.
Harris’s relatives turned up at the hospital as news of the shooting reached them. Both men were conscious on arrival but were in obvious pain. They were taken into the emergency room for treatment before being referred to the x-ray department. This newspaper understands that the bullets are still lodged in the men’s bodies and that they will undergo surgery to have them removed.
Wincing in pain, Harris told reporters that the gunmen had robbed other shops in the area though it was unclear whether the shop keepers or customers were robbed. He said that he and other Guyanese miners were liming at the Arau water side when the gunmen showed up. He said the Guyanese would often hang out together and not with the other foreign miners. The man said when the masked gunman first pulled his weapon he thought he was joking and only realised that the man was a bandit after he was shot. Harris said he believed that the man had been pointing a toy gun at him. He said he recalled that he started running and subsequently fainted. He showed the media the small gunshot wound on the outer side of his upper right thigh adding that he is grateful that the bullet only grazed his testicles. Harris said he had been working in this industry for three years. Meanwhile, Wilson said he was not robbed during the shooting.
Last month during a meeting with officials from the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association miners had raised a number of security concerns including the need for established check points, photo identification and the speedy processing of their firearm licences. An executive member of the Association yesterday told this newspaper that he was aware of the incident. He said the group has met with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and other stakeholders to address security concerns. The official also said that the meeting was told of the need for police and army patrols and radio communication with miners. He commended the ministers for actively pursuing the concerns the Association made regarding security in the interior. The official said too that putting the plan into action was challenging. A sub-committee was set up following the meetings to take step to implement ideas.
In November Venezuelan soldiers invaded Guyana’s waters, destroyed two dredges in the Cuyuni River and flew one of their aircrafts into this country’s airspace. The Venezuelan government subsequently apologized for the incidents and the two governments had agreed to work out solutions for security at the border. A joint committee was supposed to have been set up to ensure that such incidences recur.
More than a year ago, Venezuelan national guardsmen pursued a Guyanese national to Eteringbang and shot him dead. To date, Caracas has not provided an official explanation to the government here.
