Rowley: TT talking to Venezuela over Guyana border row

THE Prime Minister said while he was taking medication after his recent angioplasty procedure, he was working hard in his role as chairman of Caricom now subsumed in a Venezuela/Guyana border row.

With Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro re-stating a long-standing claim to two-thirds of Guyana including oil-rich areas, Dr Rowley said the Government has been very busy on this matter, being in constant communication with the Venezuelan government.

He said Caricom is defending Guyana’s sovereign integrity and is advocating non-aggression, respect for international law and multilateralism.

“We have said so to Venezuela by way of Caricom. TT is leading Caricom at this time. Our position is embedded in the Caricom position.”

Rowley said the foreign ministers of TT and Venezuela are directly in touch.

“From the Office of Prime Minister we have been in touch with the Office of Vice President in Venezuela with respect to the development where the Venezuelan government two (Guyanese) fishing vessels and their crews in certain marine territorial areas where Venezuela is saying these Guyanese vessels have been operating in territories which are in dispute.”

He lamented that the crews were taken to Guiria where they were arrested.

“TT officials at all levels have been persuading Venezuela to release these people and so far they have not been released but we anticipate in the not too distant future this situation would abate.

“But if it does not, it will be an unpleasant matter that has been attracting our attention day and night and will continue so to do.”

He said the dispute was over an area close to TT’s border and the matter was very alive and attracting the attention of many regional entities/countries.