Guyana says no build-up of its troops near Venezuela border
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Mark Phillips, said that there has been no increase in the number of GDF troops along the border with Venezuela in light of the recent increase of activities by the Venezuelan armed forces there.
Brigadier Phillips said he wanted to correct media reports that had given the impression that additional troops had been deployed to the borders following the Cabinet meeting.
“The GDF continues to monitor the border with the current troops on the frontier,” he said, noting however, that troop levels have not yet been increased.
“Our troops at Base Command Stevenson, Timehri, our troops at Camp Ayangana and our troops at other coastal and inland training locations are already briefed and alerted and remain in a state of readiness to support our activities on the border,” said the chief of staff. He said that the GDF remains ready to define aggression on our border with Venezuela.
“We have troops deployed at various locations. The important ones in this sense are location Eteringbang, location Kaikan, and we have several observation posts along the Cuyuni River and we continue to monitor the activities by the Venezuelan armed forces on our frontiers.
“Our deployment is geared to define aggression and acts of incursion of our border and we remain ready to deploy additional troops and equipment, if need be, to those locations.”
The chief of staff said that a build-up in troops on the Venezuelan side had been observed about one week ago but that over the past weekend, there had been a noticeable increase.
“What is unusual is the deployment of military boats with machine guns in the Cuyuni River; the Cuyuni River is inclusive of Guyana’s border. To deploy armed boats in the Cuyuni River is an affront to our sovereignty. The deployment remains, as I speak, in position and we continue to observe the troops; just over 200 at San Martin and Ankoko Island and the movement of those boats between Ankoko Island and San Martin,” Brigadier Phillips said.
The brigadier reiterated that the Guyana Venezuela Border is a settled border and the duty of the GDF at this time is to define aggression along this settled border with Venezuela.
