GUYANA on Friday reiterated its willingness to accommodate Guyanese living in Venezuela, as well as Venezuelans, affected by rioting and looting in that country.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in response to questions raised at a news conference on Friday, told reporters that his administration has repeatedly said that in the event there is a threat to life, limb and property of Guyanese citizens living in the neighbouring Spanish-speaking country and they require government’s assistance to relocate, this will be provided.

There has been lots of rioting and looting in Puerto Ordaz over the past few weeks and according to the Minister of State, Guyana has been in touch with its Consul. “So in the event that something overspills in Puerto Ordaz, what I can say to you is that we have made arrangements at our side for the border to receive those residents and even Venezuelans who might be fleeing from violence in those communities; we have an international obligation to provide certain limited facilities,” said the minister of state.

He noted however, that often, those affected by such circumstances don’t wait on government to provide assistance. They come across the border into Region One, particularly Mabaruma, Morawhanna, Port Kaituma and Morcua.

Harmon assured that Guyana has equipped itself with robust immigration services in those areas as well as health services to assist those affected. Asked specifically what provisions are in place for staff at the Consul and those at Guyana’s embassy in Caracas, in terms of security or hardship post, Harmon replied: “I am not aware that there is a hardship posting, I am not aware that the embassy staff has made a request to say that they feel threatened and their security is affected but what I can say to you is that it is something we will continue to monitor.”

Harmon noted too that “it is the call of the Ambassador there to determine what is considered to be a security situation that is untenable.”
“Right now we have not had such a report and we believe that the Bolivarian Republic continues to provide security for our embassy staff,” the minister of state told reporters at Friday’s post-cabinet press briefing. Attempts to obtain information about Guyana’s foreign service in Venezuela on Friday proved futile.

Harmon acknowledged that Puerto Ordaz has always been “a little hot point” and estimates that there are between 12,000 and 25,000 Guyanese there. Over the past few weeks there has been an increase in unrest around Venezuela. Those unrests are as a result of the country’s recession and high inflation rates. Several food stores were looted and many persons have been arrested.

According to a Reuters report dated January 9, 2017, “Angry Venezuelans also blocked three major roads to demand anti-malaria medicine, food, cooking gas and spare parts for trucks.”