Guyanese murdered during mining camp invasion

An ex-policeman is among three Guyanese who were shot and killed early Wednesday morning while at their mining camp at Imataka Backdam in Venezuela, some three miles off the border with Guyana.

The ex-policeman was identified as Colwyn Solomon while the other victims are Samuel Moses and Vernon Eudoxie – all residents of Port Kaituma. Two other persons were injured and while one remains warded at the Port Kaituma Hospital, the other has been transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to information received, four gunmen with foreign accents invaded the camp and opened fire on the habitants.

Claire Richards, sister for one of the dead man, said relatives got the call early yesterday morning informing them of the tragedy but they were not able to confirm the details until later Wednesday morning.

The police in a statement today said the shooting of the men took place in Venezuela. Other miners later brought the bodies by boat back to Port Kaituma. However, the sister of one of the dead men believes that the men were working at a mining camp in Guyana when the shooting took place.

The woman is of the view that the present situation in Venezuela contributed the deadly attack and according her this is not something new. She even added that this was reported to the authorities in the past and nothing significant was done, thus leaving the Guyanese nationals exposed to the Venezuelans.

Today, Minister of State Joseph Harmon confirmed that the authorities are aware of gangs from neighbouring Venezuela entering Guyana, but he could not link that information and the death of the three Guyanese.

Of the injured two Guyanese, one had a bullet which grazed three of his fingers while the other received five gunshot wounds, three to the leg and two to the groin region.

Samuel Moses was reportedly shot to the chest and that bullet exited his rib area; Vernon Eudoxie was reportedly shot to the stomach Kerwin Solomon is said to have been shot to the head.

The police investigations into this matter are ongoing. (Leroy Smith)