BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A Guyanese national, who was protesting yesterday (Sept. 23) against Venezuela’s claim to a large chunk of Guyana’s territory and the recent build-up of heavily armed troops near Guyana’s western border, was told by a Senior Police Officer that her action was a threat to the security of the Spanish-speaking country’ Head of State, President Nicolas Maduro.
The Guyanese, Denise DeFreitas, who hails from Liverpool Village, Corentyne, Berbice but resides in St. Kitts, was protesting within the Independence Square in Basseterre, a short distance away from the tent under which senior Government officials from St. Kitts and Nevis and Venezuela as well as spectators were seated.
President Maduro was at the time visiting St. Kitts and Nevis and was engaged in the symbolic handing over of cheques to former sugar workers outside the CLICO Building on South Independence Square Street.
According to DeFreitas, she was displaying her placards for President Maduro and his entourage to see that if there were one Guyanese residing in the twin-island Federation who is deeply concerned about the territorial integrity of her homeland, “I am that person!”
She was bearing two placards; one read: “All of Guyana belong to Guyanese not Venezuela” and the other which said: “Guyana belongs to Guyanese not Venezuela, not one blue saki, not one cuirass, not one rice grain, not one earthworm, not a blade of grass.”
The small business owner explained that while she was some distance away in the Independence Square from the erected tent under which Government officials and spectators were seated, a man whispered in her ear that an FBI agent was looking in her direction and reading the words written on the placards.
“I saw the white guy and I realised that he was not an FBI agent, but a member of President Maduro’s delegation. The guy went across the road to where two uniformed police officers were standing and one of them, a female, came to me and said that I cannot stand up there and that I have to move.
“So I asked her to where should I move and she angrily responded: ‘Far, far, go back, go back.’ However before I could have complied, a man bedecked in a suit approached and told me, ‘You know the people came to St. Kitts to enjoy themselves and they just give St. Kitts some money and you can’t be protesting against them.’”
DeFreitas said she told the man that she was very glad that the Venezuelan Government had been generous to the people of the Federation, but her protest action had nothing to do with that and she had nothing against the Federal Government or nationals of the country.
She explained that while conversing with the man, another individual approached and identified himself as Assistant Commissioner of Police Vaughan Henderson.
“He also told me that I could not remain in the position where I was standing and that I should move back. So I asked him how far backwards and he told me to go behind the fountain in the Square.
“I tried desperately to explain the reason for my presence there and he told me that I was embarrassing St, Kitts. I then asked him how am I embarrassing St. Kitts and told him that there was nothing written on the placards about St. Kitts. In response, he said: ‘I cannot go to Guyana and protest.’ And I told him that I am a Guyanese living in St. Kitts and I am not protesting against anyone or anything in the Federation, so I cannot see what I am doing is a threat to security.
“The Assistant Commissioner then told me that when things like this happens, it is a threat to the security and I cannot remain there.”
DeFreitas told this media house that she had found it very strange for the officer to see her action as one of threat to President Maduro’s security when “as recent as today (yesterday) many people were protesting in America during the Pope’s visit to that country and no police officer had them removed from the venue”.
When questioned of her motive, the woman said: “I am a Guyanese and if there is one person who knows what Venezuela’s intentions are it is I. I am here today to let the President know that I am not in agreement with what the troops are doing at the border. Guyana is for Guyanese not Venezuelans who want to take away five-eighths of our territory. And, most recently, their interest and covetousness have grown because Guyana has struck oil.”
