…Joint Services team told during visit to remote Region One border village
Since last November , residents of the border village of White Water, North West District observed the presence of Venezuelan soldiers on Guyana’s side of the border and in recent weeks, the men have been harassing persons travelling from a remote satellite community within the village lands.
Reports are that this information was reported to the Guyana Defence Force and other law enforcement officials within Region One since early in January but residents received no response. According to residents , on Friday afternoon, a team of Joint Services ranks led by a GDF colonel and a police commander visited the village to interact with residents about the border controversy.
White Water is a remote village on the outskirts of the town of Mabaruma and lies within a 3 mile radius of the Guyana/ Venezuela border near the Amacuro River.
Asked about this issue on Saturday both Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd and Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira said they were not aware of the issue. They promised to follow up the issue to ascertain the veracity of the reports.
However, Village captain Ernest Samuels noted that the people of the Courasima community within White Water are fearful of the situation. He said that the Venezuelans have been harassing the residents and have been confiscating the valuables of the residents.
“The Venezuelan soldiers coming in Guyana water and they harassing my people them from fishing,” a resident of the satellite village of Courasima, Delroy Rodrigues said.
He said that the people cannot fish as they wish , noting that one cannot go with the light in the night to catch fish as customary. He said that that the men would take the valuables of residents they encounter, even pointing their guns at the residents. He said that the Courasima Creek is the only route to their community, as he noted that the men drift inland into the Guyana territory on rafts and small boats. “It is not nice,” the man said, adding that this has been happening for most of latter half of 2020.
The residents noted that the men travel in groups of 4 or 5 as they enter the Guyanese territory.
Residents told the Village Voice News that in recent weeks, the Venezuelan soldiers moved 2 miles inland into Guyana’s territory from the Amacuro River which separate the two countries and have been occupying a farm owned by a Guyanese. The farm is located along the Courasima Creek which flows into the Amacuro from an area called ‘ Gaja Landing’ at White Water.
On Thursday , a woman reported her encounter with the foreign soldiers on her way to White Water Central where most persons buy good and other supplies. She reported her encounter to the Joint Services team which visited the village on Friday afternoon. The Guyanese security officials then travelled to Gaja Landing where they encountered Venezuelan nationals, including groups of men who residents noted are new to the area.
Venezuelan soldiers at Shell Beach
Meanwhile , a resident of Morawhanna, a port of entry at Mabaruma sub-region told the Village Voice on Friday night that there has been no to little movement on the water top near the Shell Beach area off the Waini Coast since he alleged that Venezuelan soldiers have been manning the busy waterway which connect the area to Georgetown over the past week. He said “things are at a stand still” and residents are worried about their safety , given the presence of the foreign soldiers at the beach.
On Thursday, Minister Todd admitted that the Venezuelan navy had increased activity in Guyana maritime space after Venezuela President Nicholas Maduro issued a decree on January 7, 2021.
“Following the announcement of President Maduro’s Decree of 7 January 2021, there was increased activity in Guyana’s maritime space by Venezuelan Navy vessels and other Venezuelan State assets.“ Todd said that the Venezuelan navy’s illegal presence in Guyana’s maritime space continues to undermine Guyana’s development, by threatening this country’s sovereign rights of its maritime space and hindering economic activity.
Also last Thursday , President Irfaan Ali met with the hierarchy of the GDF to discuss important security matters. The meeting came one week after the Venezuelan navy detained two Guyanese fishing vessels, their crew and catch, off Region One Waini ‘s coast, which is within the Guyana Exclusive Economic Zone. The Spanish-speaking soldiers have since detained another fishing vessel and crew, all of whom remain in custody of the Venezuelan authorities.
