Mayor of Caroní received visit by the Ambassador of Guyana


Strengthening ties between the two nations



The mayor of Caroní, Clemente Scotto Dominguez, received in his office a courtesy visit of the distinguished ambassador of Guyana, Dr. Odeen Ishmael, with the aim of sharing some points of interest between the two nations, given the closeness that Ciudad Guayana has with neighbouring country.

With warm words of welcome from the highest authority of Caroní accompanied by his wife Yajaira Briceno, the deputy to the National Assembly Diluvina Hair, and the executive team received the Ambassador who was accompanied by his wife Evangeline Ishmael and Roxanne Vandeyar.

Scotto recalled the affection that he holds for the Guyanese citizens who live in our country, particularly in Ciudad Guayana where there is a significant presence of them.

The Ambassador recalled the work done by the Mayor of Caroní during his first term when he conducted an important census.
"We are concerned that many of our people leaving the country do not have a passport or birth certificate."

Reason for which he expressed interest to seek ways to legalize the presence of the Guyanese natives in Venezuela, the mayor recalled the active presence that these people have in the communities and have managed to establish themselves in their own homes; many have between 15 and 20 years living in Guayana.

Guyanese Criminals that operate across the border and come to the country to hide in the city, was another topic touched upon during the meeting, to which the ambassador Ishmael showed his intention to cooperate noting that he has been in talks with the security forces of both countries. "We do not want the bad guys but those who bestow something good to the country".

He also extended an invitation to the Mayor of Caroní to visit Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, with the aim to furthur strengthen the ties between the two cities, besides the mayor’s trayectory is well known, particularly in his attention to the Guyanese citizens living in the city. He noted that in the nation's capital Venezuelans give Spanish courses to more than 300 Guyanese through the Simon Bolivar Institute.

With these thoughts the Ambassador of Guyana is confident that there will be a further step towards improving relations between the two nations; he said he is friendly with the Venezuelan ambassador in Guyana Dario Morando, a native of Guayana, with whom he enjoys excellent relations as an individual of humble roots. He also offered the full support of the Embassy to the mayor Scotto when his trip to Guyana is possible.


Strenghtening of relations

Mayor Scotto after listening closely to the points of Ambassador Odeen Ishmael, said that the council is not authorized to handle international relations, but expressed gratitude for closer ties between the two cities. He said that next year he would be willing to conduct a new census that permits cuantify the number of Guyanese living in the city and to know their status.

Also he believes that before September he would be visiting the capital Georgetown, he will visit the embassy in Caracas first to plan his trip. "This is a stimlus to the relationships between our people, from city to city, because they allow more direct encounter between human beings."

Deputy Diluvina Cabelle, who has been linked to the work with the Guyanese in the southern part of Bolivar state, expressed her willingness to continue working in support of the neighbouring brothers, while accepting the invitation of Ambassador to accompany the Mayor to Georgetown.

The close ties between Venezuela and Guyana are consolidated again with the visit of the Ambassador of Guyana in Venezuela and the Mayor Clemente Scotto Dominguez.

Mayor speaking with the ambassador Odeen Ishmael on various points of interest to both.

The Ambassador of Guyana signing the visitors book at Ciudad Guayana.



http://www.almacaroni.gob.ve/index.php/news/1379?theme=print

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sunil,

Photos of Ambassador Ishmael meeting with Guyanese in Cuidad Guayana and issuing passports. birth certificates etc.

PHOTOS

......this is great by amb. ishmael in strengthening ties between the two countries.....the amb. & evangeline look fabulous.....it appears as if the amb. presented the mayor with 'The West on Trial'.........

We now have to give the ambassador a copy of Clem Secharran's "Sweetening Bitter Sugar..."

quote:

Originally posted by Lalbahadur Shastri:
......this is great by amb. ishmael in strengthening ties between the two countries.....the amb. & evangeline look fabulous.....it appears as if the amb. presented the mayor with 'The West on Trial'.........

No, it is not. I have a copy of that exact book the Mayor is holding. It is "Amerindian Legends of Guyana" by Odeen Ishmael.

Guyana Embassy gives consular help to Guyanese in San Felix and Puerto Ordaz


Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela Dr. Odeen Ishmael and a five-member team from the Embassy on the weekend of April 12-13 met with hundreds of Guyanese nationals residing in the Venezuelan industrial city of Ciudad Guayana, located at the junction of the Orinoco and the Caroni Rivers, 600 miles south-east of Caracas. Most of the Guyanese who migrated to Venezuela reside in various parts of this sprawling industrial city.


At four different centres in the city’s large municipalities of San Felix and Puerto Ordaz, the Ambassador and his team in the two-day period concentrated their efforts on assisting more than 200 Guyanese in renewing their passports and another 200 to apply for new and first-time passports.


Many of the Guyanese in this city are illegal residents and a sizeable proportion of them do not even possess Guyanese passports or even copies of their birth certificates which form the essential requirement for them to apply for passports. A great proportion of them are also without Guyanese identification documents, even though have been living in Venezuela for as long as twenty years. As a result, they cannot apply for Venezuelan residency which many of their compatriots with the relevant documents have already acquired.


Ambassador Ishmael also in addressing the Guyanese nationals, who turned out in large numbers at the four locations, explained to them how they can acquire other documents such as copies of birth and marriage certificates, and also of the process they have to follow to enable their children born in Venezuela to acquire Guyanese passports.


According to the city authorities of Ciudad Guayana, more than 36,000 Guyanese reside there, with the largest concentration in the municipality of San Felix. While some have found employment in the city’s iron, steel and aluminium industries, most of the “illegals” are employed as labourers, domestics and ice-cream vendors. However, some others are self-employed mainly in the transportation business and in operating small farms, groceries and small stores.


At a lengthy meeting on April 12 with the mayor of the city, Mr. Clemente Scotto, Ambassador Ishmael discussed the problems of the Guyanese nationals and sought the city government’s assistance in helping to more rapidly incorporate the Guyanese community into the general Venezuelan society. The Ambassador reminded the mayor that many Guyanese children, due to their non-possession of (Guyanese) birth certificates, face problems in obtaining admission to schools.


The mayor responded that he was aware of this particular problem and that it was currently being addressed. He added that the Guyanese, because of their language and religions, tend to form a closed community and generally they would not participate in civic programmes organised by the city authorities. But Mayor Scotto said that he noticed a positive shift in February when a representative organisation of the Guyanese in the city organised a food fair to mark Guyana’s republic anniversary to which the general public was invited.


The ambassador and the mayor also discussed problems associated with employment of Guyanese in the area. On this point, the mayor pointed out that many employers exploit the “illegal” Guyanese who are forced to accept menial wages for long hours of work. He also expressed concern over the perceived movement of criminals, contraband trade, and drug and arms trafficking and across the Guyana-Venezuela border, a situation which he said has also resulted into a higher level of money laundering in his city.


During Ambassador Ishmael’s meetings with the Guyanese nationals, he informed them of the discussions he held with the Mayor Scotto and urged them to make greater efforts to incorporate themselves in the affairs of the wider community of which they now form an essential part.


Guyana Embassy,

Caracas, 14 April 2008

Mayor Clemente Scotto listens to Ambassador Odeen Ishmael. Accompanying the Ambassador are Embassy executive officer Roxanne Vandeyar (middle right) and Mrs. Evangeline Ishmael (right).

Mayor Clemente Scotto at head of table) and Ambassador Odeen Ishmael at their meeting at the Mayor’s office in San Felix, 12 April 2008. Accompanying the Ambassador are Embassy executive officer Roxanne Vandeyar (middle right) and Mrs. Evangeline Ishmael (right). The members of Mayor’s team are on the left of the photo.

Mayor Clemente Scotto (and Ambassador Odeen Ishmael at their meeting at the Mayor’s office in San Felix, 12 April 2008.