India hands over two military transport planes to Guyana, amid dispute with Venezuela
Guyana has received two Indian-made Dornier military transport aircraft intended for the country's defense forces, which are bolstering its security amid tensions with Venezuela over the Essequibo territorial dispute.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on Monday posted photographs showing the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dornier 228 aircraft on his official Facebook account. These are robust vehicles, also used for maritime patrol, of German design, but built in India.
The devices arrived at Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Sunday evening aboard two Boeing C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft, the president explained.
The arrival of the planes came after the signing on March 15 of a $23 million loan agreement between Guyana's Ministry of Finance and the Export-Import Bank of India to finance the purchase.
According to the Guyana Defense Force, the Dornier 228 aircraft will be used for maritime patrols, supplying military bases and moving troops to inland locations.
The aforementioned credit line that facilitated the purchase is the first defense agreement India has signed with a Caribbean country.
The close ties between India and Guyana
Guyana's Chief of Staff, Omar Khan, recognized the role the Government of India has played in defense training in Guyana for decades and noted that the signing of the agreement is in line with President Ali's vision to strengthen the security sector.
Nearly 40% of Guyana's population is of Indian origin . This bond was formed when both countries were part of the British Empire, so it was easy for Indians to emigrate to other colonies, as happened, for example, with Guyana or South Africa.
The dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over Essequibo
The territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela escalated after Caracas approved on December 3 in a unilateral referendum – which was supposed to be binding – the annexation of the disputed area of Essequibo.
Essequibo is a region rich in oil and natural resources that occupies two thirds of the territory of Guyana, which administers it as its own, although Venezuela claims it.
About ten days ago, Guyana asked the international community to "defend the rule of law by rejecting Venezuela's illegal expansionism"
In the meantime, Venezuela has created a regional government for Essequibo and appears to be illegally occupying the area in question, also pushing Guyanese citizens to flee.
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The article India hands over two military transport planes to Guyana amid dispute with Venezuela comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/lindia-cede-due-aerei-da-trasporto-militare-alla-guyana-nel-mezzo-della-contesa-con-il-venezuela/ on Tue, 02 Apr 2024 06:00:53 +0000.