Coast Guard to get Cedros fishermen

THREE Trinidadian fishermen were who were detained by Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional on April 5 are staying with relatives in Tucupita after arrangements to bring them home on Sunday were cancelled.

In a release yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the TT Coast Guard were en route to a meeting point in TT waters to pick up Nicholas Hajarie, his father Awardhath Hajarie and Shami Seepersad when they were told the meeting was off.

Nicholas, 26, Awardnath, 50, and Seepersad, 35, were detained by the Guardia close to one of Trinmar’s platforms in the waters off Cedros, for fishing in Venezuelan waters.

They were taken to Tucupita and then to Pedernales, where they were taken before the court and fined.

Giving a timeline and breakdown of the men’s detention and release, the ministry said the three are free to leave Venezuela at any time.However, the release did not indicate whether the Coast Guard would offer passage to the men or if they would have to find their own way home. Efforts to reach Nicholas’ mother, Heermatie Sankar, yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.