Guyanese soldiers have again come under attack from armed men in civilian clothing on the Venezuelan shore of the Cuyuni river, according to the Guyana Defence Force.
In a press statement after midnight today, the army said there were three separate attacks on troops along the Cuyuni River between Eteringbang and Makapa. The soldiers were conducting rivering patrols.
According to the GDF on each occasion, the soldiers executed a measured response, and no rank sustained any injuries.
The Force, the statement said, remains resolute in its mission to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity and ensure the safety of its citizens.
The army said it will continue to respond to acts of aggression along the Guyana-Venezuela border and will maintain regular patrols along the Cuyuni River.
Further, the statement said, the public can be assured that the GDF is taking all necessary measures to safeguard the nation’s borders and maintain peace and security within our beloved country.
Three months ago, soldiers were similarly attacked in the same border region by men in civilian clothing with six soldiers sustaining injuries. The soldiers then returned fire. Reports out of Venezuela indicated that several of the men who launched the attack were killed while others were arrested.
In early March a Venezuelan naval vessel entered Guyana’s waters and demanded information from the crew operating oil vessels. This was condemned by the international community with the United States of America issuing warning to Venezuela against attacking Guyana or the oil ships operating in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Tensions between Guyana and Venezuela are high as Venezuela continues with its illegal claim over Guyana’s Essequibo River.
Venezuela, in ramping up its illegal claim, has said it will hold elections to name a governor for the Essequibo region on the eve of Guyana’s 59th Independence Anniversary. However, the International Court of Justice is hearing the border controversy and has ordered that Venezuela not proceed with the elections.