By David A Granger MP, Leader of the Opposition
The expulsion of an unarmed, seismic survey vessel from Guyana’s exclusive economic zone by a Venezuelan naval corvette was a dangerous and egregious exhibition of gunboat diplomacy.
The corvette–Yekuana – of the Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela (Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela) expelled the seismic survey ship – TeknikPerdana – from Guyana’s EEZ under threat of force on Thursday, October 10. The Yekuana instructed the Perdanato to proceed into Venezuelan waters where the vessel and crew were detained.
The Yekuana incident constituted a threat to international peace. It violated the Charter of the United Nations.