Minister says he’s aware of Venezuelan ‘sleepers’ in the country

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

A senior Guyana government minister Wednesday said that the authorities are aware of Venezuelan “sleepers” in the country and there will be treason charges for anyone who support Venezuela’s election to appoint a governor and other officials for the disputed Essequibo region.

“We know that there are some sleepers here; we’ve put out a few already,” Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, said, adding that any Guyanese national or others who are appointed following the elections will be charged with treason.

“If is a Guyanese who is appointed to be Governor of Essequibo and be place at Anna Regina – we will charge that person for treason and lock them up; each and everyone of them.

“They are going to be charged for treason and anybody who is supporting them will also be charged,” Benn told a police conference here.

He urged the members of the Guyana Police Force to be on standby to respond to any armed incursion into the Essequibo region, saying “if they come we have to shoot and scoot and shoot and keep scooting and shooting until help arrives.

”We can never give up Essequibio. Guyana will be nothing without Essequibo.”

Last week, Guyana called on the Hague-based International Court of Justice, to block Venezuela from engaging in electoral activities in the Essequibo region, even as the neighbouring countries have a pending border case before the judicial body.

“Guyana informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on May 25, and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory.

“Therefore, in order to preserve its rights, Guyana is requesting that the court order Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Venezuela, based on a so-called referendum, has included Guyana’s Essequibo Region, as part of its official map. That government of Venezuela now plans to hold elections for a governor and legislative council, for among other areas, the Essequibo Region.

Earlier this year, President Nicolas Maduro and the chairman of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso announced their intention to conduct elections in the Essequibo, an oil-rich region that makes up about two-thirds of Guyana, and is home to 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens.

The Venezuelans are planning to hold elections for a ‘governor’ and ‘legislative council’ of the so-called “Guayana Esequiba State”, which Venezuela illegally purported to “annex” last year.

In 2023, Caracas claimed that more than half of eligible Venezuelan voters had taken part in a referendum that yielded overwhelming support for laying claim to the Essequibo.