Rangel made no statement to media on Beal investment -- Rohee
By Gitanjali Singh
Foreign Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, says Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jose Vincente Rangel, denied making any statement to the media in Venezuela opposing the proposed satellite launch site investment for the Essequibo. In a statement issued through his ministry, Rohee said he sought to have the recent statement opposing the investment and attributed to Rangel clarified at the just concluded European Union/Latin America/Caribbean Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "...Minister Rangel emphasised that he never made any such statement to the Venezuelan media. At the same time, Minister Rangel did not convey to Minister Rohee any express opposition to the proposed venture," the statement from Rohee said. However, the statement did not say whether Rohee sought to clarify whether Rangel may have made the statement at a forum and not to the media or whether the statement was made in an interview with a single media organisation. Josefina Blanco Angelino, a reporter with El Nacional, reported on June 22, that Rangel said: "we have an objection to the intention of installing that aerospace in the territory under reclamation." The tone of the article implied that it was a one-on-one interview between Angelino and Rangel. "This weekend, it was reported that Beal Aerospace attempted to contact the Venezuelan government to inform them about the project. In this sense, the foreign minister pointed out that 'we have not had any official information on the matter,'" Blanco wrote. "'I find it very strange that that information has managed to come through because at least it does not correspond with what the foreign ministry knows as well as the President's office. Of course, if there is concrete request expressed, we shall consider it,'" Angelino further quoted Rangel as saying. She reported that she asked Rangel if Beal Aerospace Technologies, which is proposing to set up a satellite base in the Essequibo region, sent an application to his ministry for a meeting whether he would be disposed to meet them. Rangel replied that first the Venezuelan government would study the request and he then added: "In any case, we have an objection to the intention of mounting the aerospace base in the territory in reclamation." Stabroek News last week sought a comment from Rohee on the objection by Rangel and to ascertain what diplomatic work had been done to ensure there was no stumbling block to this investment. Rohee said he would seek to clarify the issue and indicated that he had spoken to Rangel at the Organisation of American States General Assembly in Guatemala on the project. He said that he had indicated to him that if there were any concerns about the project's impact on the environment, it could be dealt with at the level of the working group on the environment, established under the high level Guyana/Venezuela bilateral commission. Repeated efforts to contact Rohee since he returned on the issue failed but on Friday evening, a statement was issued on the subject. Rohee, in the release, said that he assured Rangel that Guyana was committed to transparency and sharing of information with all its neighbours as the project evolves through its various stages. 
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