President David Granger, ahead of his visit to Baramita, Barima-Waini (Region One) today, announced that he has instructed the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to brief the Parliamentary committee on security on the steps that are being taken to secure communities located along the 800 kilometre border with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as a result of the unstable situation in that country, as well as the ongoing border controversy.
The Head of State also indicted that he expects that even as Government continues to work at the central and regional levels to ensure security in the border regions that civil society will be fully briefed.
He said, “At the Defence Board meeting that was held last Thursday, I instructed that the Guyana Defence Force should brief the Parliamentary Committee on security to let them know what preparations are taking place and I expect that there will be full participation both by members of the Government side and the Opposition side. If necessary, we will take this to civil society and I have already briefed the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, that civil society must be aware of what is taking place. So, we are operating at different levels; we are operating at a local level in the villages, in the frontline villages themselves.”
President Granger referenced the ‘Frontline Village Policy’ that was announced during his visit to Whitewater, also in Region One, earlier this month, which includes the setting up of military patrol bases and heightened 24-hour security by the GDF and the Guyana Police Force.
Opposition leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo at a recent press conference hinted at a security threat from neighboring Venezuela which he said Government is aware of.
He also said that the Government should inform the populace about the potential threat.
The Guyana/Venezuela border controversy was recently referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by the United Nations.
