AN argument between the general manager of a mining camp and a miner, over a quantity of gold, grew heated two Saturdays ago, leading one of the men to viciously attack the other and in the process a woman’s hand was hacked-off.

The 21-year-old Venezuelan victim, Tiffany Daniels, a mother of two, told this newspaper last week that the injury has changed her life completely and she is at wits end regarding her recovery from the brutal ordeal.

The incident occurred at Arrangay Landing in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni two Saturdays ago and the young mother told this newspaper that the perpetrator, who is well-known to persons in the area as ‘Devon Hamilton’ or ‘Lesy Hamilton’, may be hiding out at the mining district.
Recounting the ordeal, the woman, who hails from Caracas and who only speaks Spanish, said that she has been living in Guyana for several months, noting that she came here to seek employment as the economic situation in Venezuela spirals downwards.
She said she was at Arrangay Landing with her boyfriend on Friday, June 7, 2019 when her boyfriend had an argument with the assailant. She noted that the man was intoxicated when he argued with her partner over a missing quantity of gold. “He did not steal anything, neither did I,” she said vehemently as she recalled the allegations the man levelled at the couple.

Daniels said that her partner works at another mining site at Arrangay and previously worked with the assailant’s company. She said while at the shop, people gathered and while her partner was at the shop, the assailant hurled expletives at him and this led to the fight. Following the melee, she said she her partner left for their camp.

AWAKENED BY MAN WITH A CUTLASS
She said the following morning, on Saturday June 8 at around 05:00hrs, the couple was awakened by the perpetrator who entered their camp with a cutlass and started firing chops at the sleeping duo. Daniels said the man attacked her first and she tried to prevent him from hitting her and in the process she raised her right hand to ward-off the chops but he continued firing the blade at her. He then hacked off her right hand menacingly.
She said the man attacked her boyfriend and in the process she ran out of the camp while the perpetrator escaped in the bushes. While running up the road she recalled the place becoming dark and she fainted. She said she lost a lot of blood and she thought she was not going to make it.

Later that day she was taken to a large mining operation in the area for treatment and a flight was arranged for her to travel to the city. Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) then performed emergency surgery as the pain of the attack sunk in.
The young mother said that she managed to contact her sister and mother in Venezuela and they later travelled to Guyana to attend to her. She said her boyfriend also sustained chop wounds about his body but his injuries are not life-threatening.

ADJUSTING TO LIFE
Daniels said she is finding it difficult to adjust to life following the attack since she has to seek help to do basic things, even as the trauma of the vicious attack continues to haunt her mind while the hand pains daily.

She said following the incident, she gave two statements to the police, including a report at the mining site as well as police officials in the city. She said she remains hopeful that the man would be caught and placed before the courts.

The young woman’s mother, Karina Montoya, said that although it is very expensive to travel here, she came to Guyana last week after hearing of the attack and according to her, her daughter’s life would change forever. She said life is already difficult in the neighbouring country and according to her, her daughter does not wish to go back home, citing the need for adequate medical attention for the injury. At the moment, the family is seeking help with food and paying the rent at the apartment which they managed to secure while her daughter is being treated for the injury.

The young victim told this newspaper that she wishes to visit the Ptolmey Reid Rehabilitation Centre to find out if staff there can assist her with her injury.

The incident has led to calls from Venezuelans here issuing a call on the authorities for more protection from the law enforcement agencies, since many noted that instances of abuse are often reported but no action is taken by the authorities.

They also noted that many injustices occur in the mining areas where the foreign nationals, both males and females, are often exploited by persons with whom they sought employment.

Anyone who wishes to assist the victim can call the number 669-9012.