The Venezuelan naval vessel that escorted the Guyanese fishing crews that were detained in that country turned back last week at the line demarcating the western extreme of Guyana’s exclusive economic zone, according to Colonel Julius Skeete of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
“Interestingly enough, what we do know though is that when the vessels returned, the escort — because they were escorted by the Venezuela naval vessel — they stopped at the line that we are saying is the demarcation of our western extreme of our exclusive economic zone,” Colonel Skeete told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the opening of the force’s annual officers’ conference.
“That for us was very interesting,” Skeete, who is Colonel General Staff responsible for operations and training, emphasised.
The men were detained on January 21st, 2020, while fishing in Guyanese waters aboard the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the two vessels were intercepted by Venezuelan naval vessel Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, while operating off the coast of Waini Point at a position of N 80 49’ 06”/ w 590 37’ 40” W.
They returned to Guyana on February 3rd.
Colonel Skeete said that since from late January up to the return of the vessels, the GDF has not seen that level of activity, including the interception of the vessels, in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone by the Venezuelan military.
Acting Chief of Staff Godfrey Bess said the GDF has recently increased its capacity to survey the country’s exclusive economic zone “and we have got assets right now that give us more visibility than we recently had”. He said the force is exploring options to acquire more vessels and he confirmed that France is one of the countries being considered.
Meanwhile, in response to heightened criminal activities and migration traffic in the Whitewater Village, a community in Region One (Barima-Waini), the Joint Services have increased their operational profile in the area and continue to do work to improve and increase surveillance. Bess said it is too early to do an assessment of whether this response is working in terms of stemming illicit activities but they would continue.
“We are confident that the strategy that we are adopting will have an impact,” he said.
“Indeed there are heightened activities in this area. Of course we understand the situation with Venezuela and there has been migrant movement… [there is also] increased movement of fuel in that area. So there are criminal elements and criminal activities but in terms of — you are pointing to it as a Venezuela context — the Guyana Defence Force would stay away from defining that to the way you asked the question,” Colonel said to a question posed.
