Venezuela’s Invasion of Guyana Threatens CFZ Trek
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 21st, 2007
Forget the giant snakes and Didi, it may be humans that undermine the CFZ’s excursion to the wilds of South America.
If the five members of the Center for Fortean Zoology were not having enough trouble from heat stroke, broken fingers, and other mishaps, now the country of Guyana is falling apart.
It’s not something you’ll see on the evening news in North America, but did you hear, Venezuela invaded Guyana?
On November 20th and 21st, concern is being expressed in Guyana about the invasion and a response from Venezuela. This was just published in Guyana’s Stabroek News:
The Venezuelan mission in Guyana has not received the expected report from authorities in that country on the invasion of Guyana’s territory and the destruction of two mining dredges by the Venezuelan military, nor has there been a response to Guyana’s diplomatic note from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry…The local army source believed that the objective of the exercise was to show that the Venezuelan government was serious in its efforts to stamp out illegal mining and fuel smuggling.
The destruction of a dredge happened in the Cuyuni River at Iguana Island. The entire Cuyuni River is said to be Guyana’s territory.
For the full articles, read here and here.
Meanwhile, the country seems to be running out of fuel and emergency measures were being declared in Guyana.
Here is what the Stabroek News for November 21, 2007 is noting:
A number of Guyoil gas stations had run out of, or run low on, fuel supplies, especially gasoline. On Monday, some of these stations were closed.
What country has stepped in with a shipment of oil in this emergency situation, according reports out of Guyana today? Venezuela.
See more on this story, here.
I don’t assume to understand what is going on in Guyana, but my hope is that the CFZ folks get out of Guyana safely, when they deem it necessary to leave.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
“Why don’t you shut up Hugo?”
It’s time for a Crypto takeout of Fat moutn, fat head Chavez.
Where is the United Nations?
Are they asleep?
I don’t assume to understand what is going on in Guyana, but my hope is that the CFZ folks get out of Guyana safely, when they deem it necessary to leave.
I totally agree Loren. Maybe they better deem it necessary to vacate now. While they have a better Chance of leaving safely. Better to cut their losses than to be talking about the loss of any team members. They can always go back when things simmer down.
sasquatch responds:
November 21st, 2007 at 12:43 pm
“Why don’t you shut up Hugo?”
Guess the King put ol Hugo in his place didn’t he. That was hilarious.
“Porqué no te callas?!”
His Majesty Juan Carlos de Borbón, to Hugo Chávez, at the Iberoamerican Summit
Wow. That is horrible, I too hope the team is and will remain safe.
The UN won’t oppose communist invasion in South America. Not these days. Likewise with the MSM.
Though Chavez’ slogans sound like a combination of Pol Pot’s brand of Maoism combined with fascism. It won’t be pretty. We will be wishing we’d come to the aid of the democratic demonstrators back when he was briefly overthrown.
This is why we can never get to the bottom of something. It’s almost like…why bother? But you know what, it’s every reason to bother.
Keep the fight alive all cryptid hunters of the world…BRAVO! and yes indeed be safe.
This is sad to hear as I was starting to think, with the scorpion discovery and what not, that this trek was showing promise and might turn up something very interesting. Hopefully the team members will be aware of their safety and not put themselves in too much danger trying to follow up on leads. It must be frustrating to have the trek potentially shut down so early on, but safety should come first. I hope they have the good sense to get out when the need arises.
Invasion seems a little alarmist. It’s a border dispute. It shouldn’t have much effect on the CFZ, as it’s unlikely to escalate into much more than a diplomatic flurry.
One person’s “invasion” just may be another’s “border dispute.” But if the media in Guyana is calling it an “invasion” that gives you some insights about how they are feeling about it.
No one who has commented here yet appears to be in the country, so let’s be patience and see how this unfolds for the CFZ crew who are the only ones who can know for themselves.
Any uninvited transgression by foreign troops on your soil is, by definition, an invasion. Pancho Villa invaded the United States in 1916, and the Japanese did too when they took the remote Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska in 1942. Certainly neither action compares to D-Day, but they were invasions all the same. The destruction of 2 mining dredges seems more serious than a nighttime raid of revolutionaries and more serious than the outright seizing of small pieces of territory by a foreign power. Hopefully, it was simply saber-rattling with the blade drawn, and that will be the end of it, but it could always be the start of something more.
They are safe! But I have to admit that for the last few days I have been getting increasingly worried. There is one heck of a lot of news to update you all on, so check out the Guyana blogsite…
But I am increasingly pleased with what they have found. We have the scorpion, and now we have first hand accounts of all three cryptids, plus something that appears to be entirely new.
Well done guys.
Glad to hear the people are safe. Man, it’s a dangerous world. You all have my admiration. Please continue to be safe.