The Government of Guyana has dispatched a Note Verbale to the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning the neighbouring country about its “provocative and dangerous” actions near Guyana’s border.

The warning from the Guyana Government stemmed from the fact that on May 30, three officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) came under gun fire from the Venezuelan army, while travelling on the Cuyuni River.

The GGMC officials and the boat captain escaped unhurt following the incident.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in a statement issued on Wednesday, noted that at approximately 17:20 hrs on the day in question, the GGMC team was returning from a monitoring and inspection exercise at Arau, when the chartered boat came under attack approximately one mile above the Eteringbang Police Station.

According to the statement, “The Ministry has dispatched a Note Verbale to the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveying the Government of Guyana’s grave concern over this incident and calling on the Venezuelan government to desist from such provocative and dangerous actions on Guyana’s border. It stressed that such actions can only lead to the destabilization of relations.”

The Guyana Government also plans to bring the matter to the attention of the Secretary General of the United Nations in his capacity as Good Officer under the Geneva Agreement and members of the UN and its Security Council will also be notified.