Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon has confirmed that no permission was granted to the Venezuelan soldiers to enter Guyana with their weapons.
When questioned on the issue today, Friday September 13 at his post cabinet media briefing, Dr. Luncheon said that the Venezuelan soldiers breached the agreement which theyhad with Guyana by bringing their weapons on the visit.
According to Dr. Luncheon, the breach in security was brought to the attention of the Venezuelan authorities and they apologized.
“They were not allowed was the official report provided by the Guyanese authorities and as far as the authorities there was concerned, a breach of the agreement, the understanding under which they were allowed to enter Guyana, a breach once drawn to their attention, they made the suitable apologizes and corrected it. This is the report that was provided,” Dr. Luncheon told reporters.
He added that permission was granted to the Venezuelan delegation to enter Guyana by the relevant authorities and the reason given for their visit was to “engage” with the Guyanese communities on the border.
Reports indicate that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers had objected to the Venezuelan soldiers landing on Guyanese soil with their weapons although they were advised not to do so. The group of soldiers arrived on August 31, which is the same day that Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro visited Guyana.
