A 27-YEAR-OLD man of El Tigre, Maturín, Venezuela, drowned while crossing the Wenamu River (Venamo River) from Venezuela to Guyana on Friday. His body washed up Sunday on the Venezuelan shore.

Venezuelan officials reportedly collected the body of the dead man who has since been identified as Chavo Daniel Diaz. Reports indicate that 31-year-old Angel Ramon Nunez Infante of Venezuela, said to be the dead man’s friend, made a report to the Kaikan Police Station on Friday that he feared Diaz had drowned after he went under the water and disappeared while attempting to cross the river.

Meanwhile, Guyana has intensified its surveillance near the border with Venezuela, even as nationals of the neighbouring country continue to seek medical treatment here for malaria. The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) had, late last year, advised of an increase in the cases of measles in Bolivar State, Venezuela.
Reports indicate that 368 Venezuelans out of about 1,000 have sought treatment at health facilities in the Barima-Waini (Region One) area. The health outposts have been mandated to continue offering treatment to Venezuelans and Guyanese residing in Venezuela.
Venezuela is in the midst of a deepening political and economic crisis that has resulted in severe shortages of food and medicine. Quite recently, it was reported that a group of armed Venezuelan soldiers crossed into Guyana, seeking food.