A Guyanese army helicopter with seven people on board went missing on Wednesday near the border with Venezuela, Guyanese authorities said.
Guyana’s army chief of staff, Omar Khan, told a news conference that communication with the helicopter was lost shortly after takeoff and that weather conditions in the area were poor at the time of the crash.
According to Khan, he has no information to suggest that Venezuela was in any way involved in the incident.
Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana are growing, with the foreign ministers of the two countries having a telephone conversation on Wednesday.
Brazil’s military had previously said it would increase its presence on the border with Guyana and Venezuela, which have escalated tensions over a disputed oil-rich region.
“The army has constantly monitored the border areas to ensure the integrity of the country’s territory. In light of this, additional forces have been sent to the cities of Pacaraima and Boa Vista,” the army said in a statement.
The United States warned on Wednesday of violence and conflict in the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over a disputed oil-rich region.
“The United States is closely monitoring tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over a disputed border area and wants the countries to avoid conflict,” the White House said.
Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana rose on Tuesday when Nicolás Maduro proposed a plan to create a Venezuelan state in the disputed oil-rich region and ordered the state oil company to issue licenses to drill for oil in a larger area, e.g. of Greece.
During the cabinet meeting, Maduro proposed sending a bill to the National Assembly to create the state of Guyana Essequibo in the region that has belonged to Guyana for over a hundred years.
Maduro also ordered the immediate issuance of oil, gas and mining permits.
2023-12-07 04:17:00
a-guyana-army-helicopter-has-disappeared-near-the-border-with-venezuela-foreign-country