[www.inewsguyana.com] – Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett admitted on Monday to the Guyanese press that a solution in the long run of the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute is needed in order to move forward with seismic exploration on Roraima Block.
The minister added, however, that Venezuela’s consent to Guyana’s exploration activities was “implicit,” while representatives from both governments held talks to establish the maritime limits over the next four months.
However, sources of the Venezuelan Foreign Office explained that Venezuela clearly rejected oil exploration by Guyana in Roraima Block. Last October 10, the Venezuelan Navy stopped the “RV Teknik Perdana” vessel while it was conducting oil prospecting in the area, which was awarded by Guyana to US transnational oil company Anadarko.
Guyana’s exploration activities were rejected verbally by Venezuela during a meeting both foreign ministers held last week in Trinidad and Tobago. Also, a note of protest was sent to Guyana’s Embassy to Caracas, and a press release was issued by the Venezuelan Foreign Office.
In addition, and with the purpose of ensuring compliance with Venezuela’s stance on this matter, the Navy has ordered permanent patrolling in the Venezuelan Atlantic Front. President Nicolás Maduro also ordered last Friday the establishment of a “system including satellite, digitalized control of our Caribbean Atlantic Front, featuring a state-of-the-art computerized command center, with all kind of equipment and radars.”
The actions Venezuela has undertaken to prevent Anadarko from conducting oil surveys in Roraima Block were acknowledged by a source of the Guyanese Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, who conceded that Anadarko was “unlikely” to continue prospecting works.
Engineer Aníbal Martínez, the President of the Front in Defense of the Venezuelan Oil, recommended the Venezuelan Foreign Office to inform the relevant transnational companies of the country’s stance. [El Universal]
