Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 04, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – It was the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicholas Maduro Morro, who had ordered his Foreign Affairs Minister, Jorge Arreaza, to let the Guyanese fishermen go.
At least this is according to a statement sent out yesterday by the Guyana Foreign Affairs Ministry. The statement sought to inform Guyana that the 12 fishermen who were detained along with their respective vessels: Sea Wolf and Lady Nayera, at Port Guiria, Venezuela for almost two weeks are on their way home.
The statement went on to mention that Arreaza confirmed with Guyanese counterpart, Minister Hugh Todd that all “legal proceedings (against the fishermen) had been discontinued at the request of his Excellency Nicholas Maduro.”
The men and their vessels were officially released on Tuesday. The Ministry shared photos of the men and their vessels preparing to leave and notified that that they had departed Venezuela’s shores early yesterday. Kaieteur News had reported that the fishermen are expected to be in Georgetown on Friday.The fishermen and their vessels were illegally intercepted on January 21 by the Venezuelan Navy Vessel, Comandante Hugo Chavez GC 24. The men were at the time fishing in Guyana’s water just off the coast at Waini Point.
That area is a part of the Essequibo Territory that Venezuela wants to claim.
The detention had come after Venezuela had said it would ramp up its military presence to protect its territory and borders following a presidential decree made by Maduro himself to reconquer the Essequibo. He called it Development of the Atlantic Façade. Guyana through its Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that the so called Atlantic Façade encompasses Guyana’s territorial waters, continental shelf and its territory to west of the Essequibo River.
There were also reports that Venezuelan military had accused the men of catching an endangered fish species known as the “hammerhead shark”.
Nevertheless, during a recent presidential brief by Irfaan Ali, it was established even if the men were found with the “Hammerhead Shark” on board, that should be a matter Guyana should address not Venezuela. This was since they were being wrongfully detained in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).Guyana was also supported by the international community which included Caricom, the Organization of American States (OAS) and Canada for Venezuela to immediately release the Guyanese fishermen.
In its statement yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday expressed its gratitude for the support, which they received from the international community.
“The Government of Guyana appreciates the efforts of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and of the wider international community in securing the release of the crew and vessels.”
In moving forward, the Ministry stated that government wishes to underscore the value of mutual respect in the relations between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
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