Guyana yesterday called for the release of two fishing boats intercepted by the Venezuelan Navy in this country’s waters on Thursday and said that it will be alerting the international community of the violation, even as it pursues “all diplomatic channels” for the safe return of the 12 persons currently in custody.
Aboard the Lady Nayera are the captain, Richard Ramnarine and his crewa: Ramlakan Kamal, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Michael Domingo and Joel Joseph.
On the Sea Wolf are its captain, Toney Garraway and crewmen, Errol Gardiner, Orland Roberts, Christopher Shaw, Shervin O’ Neil and Randy Henry.
“We are in touch with them and have issued a statement. We have contacted the relatives of the persons being held. The next stage is to alert the international community and we will use the diplomatic channels to bring to the fore what Venezuela has done because they are breaking international law and it is a violation“, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd told Stabroek News yesterday.
“We will continue in a peaceful way to bring this matter to an end,” Todd added, even as he condemned the detention as “another act of aggression by the [Nicolas] Maduro government”.
The statement referred to by Todd was one released yesterday by the Department of Public Information for the Minis-try of Foreign Affairs, which announced that the two vessels operating off the coast of Waini Point within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone, were intercepted by a Venezuelan naval vessel and instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria in Venezuela where the boats and crew have been detained.
It was the last day of fishing before the crews were to return home following a two-week stint at sea.
The statement said that the boat Captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria, in Venezuela, where the boats and crew have been detained. “To date, the Government of Guyana has not been informed by the Government of Venezuela of the detention of its nationals. The Venezuelan vessel was illegally maneuvering within Guyana’s EEZ and Contiguous Zone when it intercepted, boarded and commandeered the Guyanese fishing vessels,” the statement said.
“Guyana condemns in the strongest possible terms this wanton act of aggression by the Venezuelan armed forces against Guyana and Guyanese citizens. This Venezuelan action amounts to an interference with the sovereign rights of Guyana in its EEZ, contrary to international law. It is noted that this latest hostility follows closely on the heels of a Decree recently issued by President Nicolas Maduro which purports to establish “a new maritime territory of Venezuela called ‘Territory for the development of the Atlantic Façade’”, encompassing Guyana’s territorial waters, EEZ and continental shelf, as well as its land territory west of the Essequibo River. Guyana has emphatically condemned this Venezuelan Decree as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and sovereign rights, and of fundamental rules of international law,” the ministry statement added.
The Government of Guyana said that it “insists on the immediate release of the crew and vessels” and it further “exhorts the Government of Venezuela, and its agents, to behave in a manner consistent with international law and good neighbourly relations”.
Deferred
The interception comes amid rising tensions between the two countries following an International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on December 18 last year to assert jurisdiction following an application by Guyana for a juridical settlement of the longstanding border controversy with Venezuela.
Venezuela has already asked the ICJ twice for the case management meeting to be deferred and it has now been shifted from today to February 26th. The first deferral was from January 10th to January 25th.
Guyana has said that while it holds firm to the view that Caracas has no sound ground for the deferrals given the meetings are only procedural, it will allow the court to do its job.
“If you give Venezuela five years, they still can’t find any justification for their claims. So time is not going to help them. They have had since 1899,” Guyana’s Agent at the ICJ Carl Greenidge told this newspaper yesterday.
Since the ICJ decision, Caracas has engaged in a series of hostile actions including the issuing of a decree purporting to establish control over waters adjacent to Guyana’s Essequibo coast. This decree has been repudiated by Guyana.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs says that this country believes that Venezuela latest act of aggression is to avoid the current case before the ICJ and get Guyana to return to the UN Good Offices Process; an act this country refuses to do.
“We think it is an attempt to go back to the Good Officer’s Process. But no! That is not our position and we (are) committed to the ICJ process,” he stressed.
“We are hoping that they will join us at the ICJ and not try to get us back to bilaterals,” he added.
At the moment, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the main objective of this country is to get the crews back home safely to their families.
Safe Return
A meeting was held yesterday at Charity, Essequibo Coast at the home of one of the owners of the vessels with family members of the crews. Those who live long distances away and were unable to travel said that they were told that they would be briefed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and GDF personnel and given updates on the status of their loved ones.
Relatives of the crew members and the owners are also hoping for the return of their loved ones, unharmed and with the vessels and all of them yesterday recalled their initial shock and anguish on being told that their family members had been detained.
Optimistic
While they are optimistic, one of the boat captains last evening told the vessel owner that the Venezuelan military had yesterday emptied their catch and were in the process of taking them to army bases to give statements. He said that the men expressed concern that while they were using their own rations and were “healthy and good”, they are not sure when they will return home and what will happen when their rations are depleted.
“I just got off the phone with my captain because where they are there they have signal. He tell me that they emptied all two boats and take all the fish and the glue. Then they carry some of them to give statement and coming back for more,” Kumar Lallbachan told Stabroek News from his Charity home last evening.
He said that, according to his Captain, last Wednesday around 6:30pm as they were eight miles in Guyana’s EEZ zone, a Venezuelan naval vessel intruded into this country’s waters with armed military personnel and demanded that they accompany them over to Venezuela. He said that his crew called immediately and had logged the coordinates where they were.
Since then, the crew has given him periodic updates.
Having experienced the seizure of a vessel he was on back in 2010, Lallbachan, who manages the fishing operations said that he has been “worried sick” for the crew because he knows the inhumane conditions meted out by the Venezuelan military.
“I know firsthand how Venezuela operates because they de hold meh boat in 2010 and it was rough. I just keep hoping meh crew them get better treatment and they get to come home. They feel they can do anything because we small,” the 52-year-old Lalbachan, who has worked at sea all his life, said.
For Kenneth Garraway, owner of the Sea Wolf, he has had “five sleepless nights” worrying about the wellbeing of the crew of six he calls family but felt optimistic after yesterday’s meeting with army personnel that they will be home soon.
“My crew and I are like family and if you see how they work and live, you would think they are. So when the Chief of Staff asked me early this morning if a don’t sleep, I had to tell he I can’t because my mind on them boys,” he said.
He too said that he was alerted of the incursion immediately. “They call me and say them get hold by VZ (Venezuela) and I thought was joke because me crews don’t go pass Waini mouth. I ask them how Venezuela army get them and they say them come over to we side and escort them out with guns and so. Imagine we in we own space and they brave enough to come with guns and carry back over them side? No man. That can’t be right,” Garraway lamented.
He said that he was yesterday assured by the GDF that they are doing all they can for the safe return of vessels and crews.
This newspaper yesterday spoke to family members, most of whom were still distraught and seeking answers on how soon they will see their relatives again.
The wife of the captain of the Lady Nayera, Sita Ramnarine explained that she was unable to attend the meeting as they reside at Ogle, East Coast Demerara. She said that she has been “worrying all the time” about her 43-year-old husband and father of two children because since hearing that they were held by the Venezuelans, she has not spoken to him and no one has updated her on what is happening.
“I read the news and learn and then heard from somebody what happened. All I want to know is if they would be ok,” she said.
For the wife of Kamal Ramlakan, she has “not been able to function properly” as she worries daily if she and her three children will be reunited with their father anytime soon. “He would be out for two weeks and then comes home. Today is five extra days and I don’t know what is happening,” she said.
The mother of 18-year-old Javin Boston lamented that her son did not like going out to sea but had to so that he could help provide for himself and his family. She said that she continuously prays for the safe return of the Dartmouth teen who is always full of life.
Unlike his cousin Boston, 22 year old Nick Ragubar loves the sea and had been going for the past two years, according to this mother. His mother, Janet said that she has “good confidence he will come back and come back safe”.
Another youth, Shervin O’Neil Jr, aged 19 has been working at sea for six months and was eager to take up the trade of his grandfather and his father. “He grow in fish and how he love it. He went Suriname where he grandfather is work at sea and then he came back here and start with the father. I am just really taking on how he making out there,” his mother Moldazie O’Neil said.
Their 40-year-old mate Michael Domingo’s wife, Velda Augustus of Wakenaam is worrying not only about his return but how her family will be taken care of, since her husband is the main bread winner and she is recuperating, having undergone two surgeries.
“I just am still shocked because nothing like this ever happened before. I am thinking of him and if he is safe and getting treat good and so. But I am also stressed over our family because I can’t work. He is the breadwinner. I do two surgeries and can’t do anything much to help them. I just want any any help possible,” she said.
