The Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, handed on Tuesday a Letter of Protest to the Chargé d’Affaires of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Robert McKenzie, rejecting the defamation and false accusations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation about the non-authorized incursion of Guyanese fishing vessels illegally operating in Venezuela’s jurisdictional waters and the detention of their crew members by the Bolivarian National Navy.
In this regard, the Venezuelan foreign minister held a video conference on Monday, January 25, with his Guyanese counterpart, Hugh Todd, to defend the Bolivarian National Navy’s legitimate patrolling/guarding operations in the waters where the two Guyanese vessels, “Nady Nayera” and Sea Wolf,” were intercepted.
At the video conference, Minister Arreaza expressed the concerns of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over how Guyana’s Foreign Ministry handled the case, and showed his Guyanese counterpart the coordinates proving the vessels were illegally operating in Venezuelan jurisdictional waters.
In a statement dated January 26, the Bolivarian Government reaffirmed its rejection to the distortions and false accusations made by the Guyanese Foreign Ministry on this case, as it considers they are not based on good faith and finds Guyana’s pretension to call this territory its “Economic Exclusive Zone” unacceptable.
Venezuela also reaffirmed its will to honest dialogue to jointly address any situation that might affect regional peace and stability.
In a recent meeting with the Guyanese Chargé d’Affaires on January 15, Foreign Minister Arreaza reaffirmed the legitimate rights of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over Guayana Esequiba, stressing that “it will not admit meddling from third parties, whether they are States or corporations, in the territorial dispute.”