[www.inewsguyana.com] – It has been two days since the Venezuelan authorities released the U.S Ship which it seized from Guyana’s waters; however Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is yet to be “officially” informed of this move.
There has been no confirmation or statement from the local Foreign Affairs Ministry since the ship was released and iNews was reliably inform that this is mainly due to the fact that Venezuela is yet to officially inform Guyana.
Nevertheless, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carloyn Rodrigues – Birkett has left for Trinidad and Tobago today (Thursday October 17) where she will meet with Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister to discuss the disputed maritime area.
Accompanying Rodrigues are several technical officers from the ministry.
Venezuela’s navy on October 10 seized the RV Teknik Perdana survey boat, which was being used byTexas-based Anadarko. Venezuela said the ship had violated its waters. However, Guyanese authorities said the boat was well within its territory.
The boat was taken to the Venezuelan island of Margarita. Its Ukrainian captain Igor Bekirov was charged and released on bail.
Venezuela and Guyana have long argued about the status of the disputed Essequibo region, an area on the border about the size of the U.S. state of Georgia, and over rights to the ocean resources that lie offshore. Venezuela calls it a “reclamation zone,” but in practice it functions as Guyanese territory.
