AERIAL VIEW OF CRISIS REGION; WRECKED AIRCRAFT ON GROUND; VENEZUELAN BORDER TROOPS; VENEZUELAN TROOPS ON PATROL; VENEZUELAN TROOPS BUILDING BRIDGE; REFUGEE CHILDREN PLAYING CARDS; DISTRESSED WOMAN WEEPING; HART AND MELVILLE.




Initials JH/VS/CR/PF



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Background: THE RUPUNUNI REBELLION, GUYANA'S SMALL CIVIL WAR WHICH WAS AN ATTEMPT BY A GROUP OF RANCHERS TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN REPUBLIC, ENDED RECENTLY, LEAVING REFUGEES IN BRAZIL AND TENSIONS ALONG THE VENEZUELAN-GUYANESE FRONTIER. TROOPS TOOK LESS THAN A WEEK TO SMASH THE CATTLEMEN'S DREAM OF FULL AUTONOMY FROM THE DISTANT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN GEORGETOWN. SOME OF THE 300 REBELS FLED FROM THEIR VAST SAVANNAH LANDS TOWARDS THE BRAZILIAN BORDER.

THE RANCHERS LED BY JIM HART, HOPED TO SEIZE THE 20,000 SQUARE MILE (50,000 SQ. KM.) HINTERLAND TERRITORY AND CLAIM IT THE RUPUNUNI REPUBLIC. HAROLD MELVILLE, ANOTHER RANCHER, WAS TO BE THE CIVIL GOVERNOR OF RUPUNUNI. BOTH LEADERS ARE FROM THE TWO BIGGEST RANCHING FAMILIES IN THE RUPUNUNI AREA.

VENEZUELA HAS DENIED OFFICIAL GUYANESE CHARGES THAT IT ARMED THE REBELS AND AIDED THE REVOLT, WHICH, ACCORDING TO GEORGETOWN OFFICIALS, LEFT TEN PEOPLE DEAD.

DURING THE COURSE OF THE REVOLT POLICE SAID THAT TROOPS BROKE THE BACK OF THE REBELLION OVER THE WEEKEND OF JANUARY 5 DURING FIERCE FIGHTING AT TWO OUTPOST AND AT THE BIG PIRARA RANCH OF THE HART FAMILY.

ALONG THE VENEZUELAN FRONTIER BORDERING GUYANA REFUGEES PASS THROUGH ON THE WAY TO BRAZIL. VENEZUELAN BORDER TROOPS PATROL THE AREA. THE REFUGEES WHO ENTER VENEZUELAN TERRITORY IN THIS WAY ARE GIVEN VENEZUELAN DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN IN AN AREA CLAIMED BY VENEZUELA AND ARE, AS FAR AS THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, CONSIDERED VENEZUELANS.

VENEZUELAN TROOPS ARE ALSO BUILDING BRIDGES FROM OIL DRUMS NEAR THE BORDER OF GUYANA. THERE ARE NO ROADS IN THE AREA AND ALL TRANSPORT MUST GO BY AIR OR NO FOOT.

THE VENEZUELANS ARE ON THE ALERT FOR ACTIVITY FROM GUYANA. DENIS GONZALES, A GUYANESE WITH VENEZUELAN NATIONALITY, WAS DETAINED BY VENEZUELAN AUTHORITIES FOR ALLEGED SPYING FOR GUYANA. HE WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN SPYING IN THE ST. ELENA AREA.

A REFUGEE CENTRE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT BOA VISTA IN BRAZIL, NEAR THE RUPUNUNI AREA. SOME OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE REBELLION FLED HERE AFTER THE UPRISING WAS PUT DOWN.