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Baramita residents living in fear as Venezuelans swarm community

Nov 19, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Residents of the village of Baramita , an Amerindian community in Region One which neighbours Venezuela, have expressed that they are “living in fear” as a high number of the Spanish-speaking nationals have swarmed their community recently.

Speaking with this publication on Friday, a businesswoman from the village said the residents have noticed the high influx of Venezuelans in their community over the past two to three weeks.

According to the woman, the Venezuelans moved in and they have been setting- up makeshift camps to sleep in. She said that given the geographical layout of the community, when traveling through the trail on bikes it just takes a few hours to reach Baramita from the border. “A lot of Spanish [nationals] pouring in there, when I said a lot, a lot of Spanish,” she emphasized.

She related that due to influx, it is driving fear not only into residents but the business community. According to her, with the increasing number of persons coming in, business operators have been closing their entities early and sometimes not opening at all. “So all of us in fear, business people all of us in fear some people done start to pack up their things to leave the village, local business people,” she explained.

The woman also mentioned that she was made aware that locals working in the backdam have been affected as their campsite have been burnt and destroyed. “When them boys come out the backdam with the little gold and thing, in the night they started to stick them up and checking their pockets looking for gold and monies. This has been going on since around last week,” she related.

The businesswoman claimed that on Friday morning, a Guyana Defence Force helicopter touched down in the community with about six soldiers. She learnt that they had held a meeting with the police in the community but residents are unaware of the nature of the meeting.

The woman further stated that she was informed that business persons are looking to close down their operation and possibility leave the community. She noted however, that she would not do such, since she has millions invested through her business.

“This is not fair for we, it is really heartrending,” she expressed.

Speaking on the Venezuelan border issue on Saturday at a press conference, President Irfaan Ali told the media that he wants to ensure to the people living close to the border that his government is taking all necessary steps in ensuring the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is protected at all times.

“I would say to residents that we are ensuring that we take all necessary steps we are taking all actions to ensure that our territorial integrity and sovereignty is protected at all times even after December 3rd that we are not taking anything lightly but we are confident that we would be able to have a situation where our territory is secured and our sovereignty and territorial integrity is intact,” he commented.

He added that he wants to ensure too “that they too rely on the structured agency to have their information set and I know for sure the Police and the Guyana Defence Force are engaging those residents continuously ensuring that they are reassured of our presence.”

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