Venezuelan President Chavez visits Guyana

Friday, February 20, 2004

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Georgetown Guyana Thursday to discuss oil and other bilateral agreements. He was greeted by a 21-gun salute and playing of the Venezuelan national anthem on the tarmac at the Cheddi Jagan international airport where he was received by President Bharrat Jagdeo and Venezuelan Embassy trade attaché Fernando Rincon.

Security arrangements are strict for the visit for talks with Jagdeo during which they are to discuss oil supplies at preferential rates under the Caracas Accord agreement signed with a Central American & Caribbean states in 2000.

Under the agreement and for "technical reasons," Guyana has not been able to take advantage of the deal but the leaders are to deal with the highly-controversial US-backed Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) and construction of a highway from eastern Venezuela through Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northern Brazil.

There has been intense disagreement over whether the talks should include Venezuela's historic claim to two thirds of Guyana's territory in the resource-rich Essequibo region.

The Guyana People's National Congress said it would boycott most of the ceremonies since it is upset with the Georgetown government for failing to force the resignation of current Interior Minister Ronald Gajraj in a growing scandal where he stands accused of having headed a death squad responsible for more than 40 killings. Gajraj and the government deny the charges but government investigators are looking into claims, which include the January 5 drive-by shooting of a Guyana cattle farmer.

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