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Kaikan Toshao debunks version of Venezuela helicopter landing
Claude Anselmo, Toshao of Kaikan village, in Essequibo, Region Seven, has debunked an article in January 5 Stabroek News, titled ‘Gov’t team visits Kaikan’, stating the incident was distorted.
4th from left- Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, Adviser to Minister Allicock, Mervyn Williams, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Guyana Defence Force, flanked by members of the joint service, during the visit to Kaikan, Region Seven.
The Toshao has come forward with a version of what he said really happened on the Kaikan airstrip on December 4, 2015.
In a letter in Stabroek News yesterday, purporting to come from the Toshao, Anselmo stated that when the helicopter landed, for less than ten minutes, the only crew from the helicopter that exited was the pilot. The pilot asked one of the women watching whether the village was San Juan, in Venezuela.
“The pilot asked the question in Spanish and the woman told him that this village was Kaikan on the Guyana shore,” the Toshao said. “Immediately the pilot went back into the helicopter and took off for San Juan and the residents went back home.”
According to the Chairman, there were two Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers in the crowd, but in civilian clothes. After recognizing the helicopter, which reports suggest was a Black Hawk type; they ran back to their barracks. Anselmo was clear in emphasizing that “nobody saw heavily armed soldiers and there was nothing intimidating about this incident until 25 minutes after.”
According to Anselmo, 25 minutes after the helicopter took off, GDF soldiers based in Kaikan “came unto the airstrip armed with their weapons and started running all over the village.”
The Toshao painted a picture of terror, stating that villagers ran for shelter after the GDF soldiers appeared. In addition, he claimed that one of the soldiers even accosted a female resident who was going home and pointed a gun at her.
“She became frightened and begged him not to shoot her,” he said. “She was horrified and intimidated. We find that the behaviour of the GDF soldiers was unprofessional and aggressive. Some of the residents were accused of being Venezuelan nationals and were asked to produce their national i.d cards and birth certificates.”
Anselmo went on to denounce the incident, stating that the result has been more problems between the soldiers and the village. He also revealed that the President David Granger and the Army Chief of Staff, Mark Phillips, were alerted about the specifics of the incident.
Anselmo also called for the GDF barracks to be removed from within the community. He noted that the village had been calling for its removal under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration and it was an unnecessary measure to take in order to defend the border.
“We have had years of very unpleasant interaction with soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force and have lost confidence in them, hence the strong request not to have them in our community.”
In the January 5 article, it had been reported that Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Mark Phillips recently visited Kaikan in Region Seven and assured the residents that Government has their interest at heart.
The article was reported to have originated from Government Information Agency (GINA) GINA said.
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