Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday offered his condolences to the people of Guyana and the military forces with reference to the recent helicopter crash here while at the same time issuing a warning,.
“I convey my condolences to the people of Guyana and to the military forces; but that is a message from beyond. Don’t mess with Venezuela, whoever messes with Venezuela gets dried up,” he was reported as saying while in front of the presidential palace in Miraflores.
Maduro also took the opportunity to point out that while the helicopter, which was carrying the seven Guyana Defence Force staff members was missing, “immediately the media in Guyana accused me of shooting down that helicopter”.
El Universal however noted that Chief of Staff of the GDF, Omar Khan had told AFP that there was no data “suggesting” that Venezuela had anything to do with the disaster.
Meanwhile, Maduro and his government supporters yesterday took part in a celebratory march in observance of what they called “Dia de la Lealtad (Day of Loyalty)” for the Venezuelans’ support of the “Esequiba action plan”.
Following the results of the December 3 referendum, the president of the Bolivarian Republic has announced a series of steps to be taken, including handing out of exploration licences in Essequibo along with issuing Venezuelan citizenship to those currently living in the county. Moreover, on December 6 and 7, the Venezuelan National Assembly unanimously approved the draft organic law for the defence of the territory and the Agreement to reject the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s decision on the Essequibo controversy. This is according to Venezuelan Television [VTV].
Additionally, the new map of Venezuela was yesterday presented in the Venezuelan Parliament. This, in keeping with Maduro’s decree for the map, which now includes 70% of Guyana’s territory, to be dispersed to all sectors of the neighbouring country.
In more recent developments, Russian news agency, TASS has reported that Maduro has given the greenlight for plans for a building project slated for the edge of the Cuyuni River.
“I have approved a project from the Ministry of Popular Power for the construction of 120 homes in San Martin de Turumbang on the edge of the Cuyuni River,” he was reported as stating. Reports from Venezuela say that this project, which also entails the construction of an educational unit, will serve as a means of providing decent housing for the families of Maduro’s proposed “Guayana Esequibo”.
“The construction will be carried out in the peri-urban areas, that is, on the edge of the city, so that they do not become an isolated urban development and the families of Guayana Esequiba can live with dignity”, he was reported as saying to VTV.
