Venezuelan soldier was shot over interception of ganja boat - report
The Venezuelan soldier who sustained gunshot injuries after an encounter with two of his countrymen at Imbotero, in Region One, near Guyana’s border with Venezuela was shot as a result of the intercepting of a boat with marijuana.
The injured soldier has been identified as Edmundo Luis Berti Garcia, 28, a Lieutenant in the Venezuelan National Guard stationed on the Venezuelan border.
Deputy Police Communications Director, Stan Gouveia said yesterday that from investigations, the Lieutenant on April 19 intercepted the boat with marijuana and the suspects were subsequently released.
However, when the Lieutenant visited the North West District community on Saturday, he was confronted by the same suspects. At the time, both of the men were armed with guns and opened fire resulting in injuries.
It was reported that the suspects, identified only as “Freddy” and “Kendell,” shot the victim twice.
The two suspects, police said, managed to flee the scene and Garcia was assisted out of the river by publicspirited persons and then taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital by police ranks stationed at Imbotero.
In the statement it was noted that while receiving medical attention at the hospital, Garcia requested to be taken back to Venezuela for further treatment.
His request, Gouveia said was facilitated by a team of Police and Guyana Defence Force ranks, who took him to the Guyana/Venezuela border and handed him over to another officer of the Venezuelan National Guard.