Guyanese community in Venezuela raises concerns over dangers of migrants fleeing country illegally

Jun 30, 2019 News

Representatives of the Guyanese Community in Venezuela, (RGCV) are calling for the government of Guyana to take note of the migrant situation at Charity Essequibo, particularly as it relates to the danger faced by those fleeing the crisis situation in Venezuela by boat and the Orinoco River.

Antonio Hamraj Director of RGCV

In an interview with Venezeula’s Nueva Prensa Digital, Antonio Hamraj, director of RGCV expressed his concern about the volume of Venezuelan and Guyanese citizens who move to Guyana, without any documentation.
Hamraj said apparently, most enter illegally, “a situation that contributes to physical abuse and women being subjected to fall into trafficking networks.”
He asked the Government of Nicolás Maduro, also the President of Guyana, David Granger, to work together to avoid this serious problem.
He urged Venezuela’s foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza and Guyana’s foreign minister, Karen Cummings, to respond to the complaint.
Further Hamraj, denounced a series of physical abuse and abuse suffered by Venezuelan women, after they reach Charity. Females, because of their illegal status, are forced to prostitute themselves.
He noted that there have been reports of women being taken under dupe from Ciudad Guayana to Guyana by boat and then they are seduced by people who operate a trafficking network, they have to work in nightclubs and bars in this place
The representative of the Guyanese community says that the only solution is to open a commercial flight from Puerto Ordaz to Guyana.
“If we can have a commercial flight, both Guyanese and Venezuelans will benefit. We also contribute to tourism. On the other hand, we prevent people from traveling illegally and migration would have control.”
He intends to visit Guyana, between August and September, he will try to meet with some government authorities, where he will pose the danger that Guyanese people face when they travel by boat on the Orinoco River.
He asked Ambassador Marilyn Cheryl Miles, to work hand in hand with Representatives of the Guyanese Community of Venezuela, believes that together they will be able to solve problems of identity to Guyanese and manage those expired visas, before the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Foreigners.