Guyana asks for an explanation
Venezuelan soldiers deployed on the Venezuelan-Guyanan border presumably shot dead a Guyanan miner who tried to smuggle cheap fuel on river across both countries, the Guayana's Foreign Ministry reported on October 9.

According to the local police, agents of the Venezuelan National Guard shot an unidentified miner of gold and diamonds last October 7 in the morning. No further information was available, AP quoted.

Authorities asked the Venezuelan embassy for an explanation and are conducting an investigation, Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally said.

"We are trying to get every detail about the event. We cannot act accordingly as long as we can have all the information," he added.

Venezuelan response
Venezuelan Minister of Defense General Raúl Isaías Baduel admitted that a group of Venezuelan troop shot several Guyanan miners, but said he had "no reports on fatalities so far."

"In reply to the actions of one of the miners, who was a little violent, our troops used their weapons, but they did not intend to hurt any of these people," Baduel told the state-run TV station VTV, as quoted by Efe.

Baduel would not disclose the place where the event took place -last October 7. According to Guyanan authorities, the event happened in Guyanan territorry. The Guyanan Government said it is investigating claims that the Venezuelan troops entered Guyana and killed a miner.

And yet
Guyana has promised to vote Venezuela for a temporary seat at the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Guyana's Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally said.

"Venezuela has received major assurances to the next term at the Security Council, in accordance with a decision made by the Caribbean leaders in St. Kitts to back Venezuela," Insanally told AFP.

Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo conveyed his Government's position on October 10 to a Venezuelan high-ranking delegation.

Venezuela and Guatemala are competing for a temporary seat that will be chosen next week at UN.
   
The Caribbean Community (Caricom) composed of 15 members refrained itself from supporting Guatemala by arguing that this nation is claiming ownership of Belize.

Guyana asks for an explanation, again
Venezuelan officials told Guyanan President Bharrat Jagdeo that they lacked evidence that Venezuelan troops killed a Guyanan miner trying to smuggle gasoline on the border, Guyanan Foreign Minister Ruddy Insanally said.

A Venezuelan delegation visiting the Guyanan capital city last October 10 added that the miners shot Venezuelan troops, Insanally stated, adding that this version differs from other Venezuelan reports, AP informed.

The Venezuelan delegation, headed by Foreign Ministry official Gonzalo Prieto and commander Gilberto Barrios, regretted the death of the Guyanan miner, said Insanally, who insisted he wants to know the reasons why Venezuelan troops shot several fuel smugglers in the common border.

"We do want to know where this happened and under what circumstances would they use force," the Guyanan FM told Efe. His comments came following a meeting between President Jagdeo and the high-level Venezuelan delegation.

According to Guyanan police sources, several Venezuelan troops shot dead Guyanan citizen Parmanand Persaud (29), over the river Cuyuní, on the common border, last October 7, after he refused to take his gasoline-loaded boats back to Venezuela. Persaud was among a group of nine men who purchased 37 barrels of 45 gallons each of gasoline in El Dorado. They loaded the fuel in five boats, three of which sank when passing through the river falls.

According to enquiries, the smugglers managed to rescue the barrels of gasoline, and loaded them in the other two boats, but they were intercepted by the Venezuelan National Guard troops.