Guyana and Venezuela yesterday signed a bilateral agreement for information sharing to combat narco-trafficking, as part of a continental initiative.
In addition, the Spanish-speaking neighbor will also lend support in rehabilitating drug addicts, which is an area in which it has experience.
“This agreement will provide for the sharing of intelligence between the law enforcement agencies and it will also provide a social component where there will be provision of treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration,” Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elisabeth Harper explained yesterday, while giving an overview of the drug cooperation agreement.
Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and her Venezuelan counterpart Elías Jaua Milano signed the agreement at the International Conference Centre, Lilien-daal, East Coast Demerara.
Rodrigues-Birkett explained that while the agreement does not allow for extraditions of drug traffickers to either country, this could be explored.
She informed that the agreement was as a result of the efforts of Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to fight the illicit trade in narcotics in this region. She said there are already similar agreements with neighbours Suriname and Brazil and this one complemented them. “We needed to have the same kind of cooperation with Vene-zuela. We now have agreements and arrangements with our entire neighbourhood,” she said.
A drug rehabilitation centre has been constructed in Berbice under former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and named in his honour. “That house was built with income and funds coming from PetroCaribe… We are deeply grateful that you have decided to name that place after our beloved commander Hugo Chavez,” a smiling Milano expressed.
The Hugo Chavez Drug Rehabilitation Centre was constructed at a cost of some US$2 million and is expected to assist in helping over 1,000 addicts and other homeless substance abusers.
“We are working [to diminish] or fight against drugs and [create] also the mechanism to cooperate to prevent addictions,” Milano said.
Meanwhile, Rodrigues-Birkett also informed that with Venezuela hoping to host the 2019 Pan-American Games this country has pledged its support to that venture.
Milano opined that although there will be national elections in 2018 in that country, he was not worried about any change in plans towards the hosting of the games, as he was confident that the Bolivarian Party, which his President Nicolas Maduro leads, will once again win.
