A 22-year-old North West District miner was brutally murdered in Venezuela on Monday.
Reports are that Otneil James, of Bumbury Hill, Mabaruma Sub-Region, was cornered by gunmen called “Sindicatos”, and beheaded by his captors over mining funds the men demanded.

The incident occurred at an area known as “Terrol Landing” in Venezuela, close to the border with Guyana. A video of the gruesome incident has surfaced and residents of Region One communities have renewed calls for persons to return to these shores in wake of the brutality meted out to Guyanese miners. The incident is one of several which have resulted in the deaths of local miners on Venezuela lands in recent months.