The Government of Venezuela reported that the Venezuelan patrol vessel GC-23 Naiguata and the ice-class expedition cruise ship RCGS Resolute had an encounter, which resulted in the patrol vessel’s sinking.
The RCGS Resolute’s operator issued a statement informing that the cruise vessel was approached by an armed Venezuelan Navy vessel at a position about 13 nm off Isla de Tortuga. The cruise ship was drifting with Venezuelan Navy vessel at a position about 13 nm off Isla de Tortuga. Although the Venezuelan vessel commanded Resolute’s crew to follow to the port of Puerto Moreno, Isla de Margarita, the Master firstly wanted to confirm the ship’s deviation from its planned voyage with the shipowner, prior to complying with the request.
Yet, it has been alleged that while the cruise vessel was receiving consultation with the home office, the Venezuelan Navy ship fired shots and then purposely collided with the Resolute’s starboard side. In addition, the cruise company said that the ramming was repeated until the Venezuelan vessel encountered Resolute’s hardened bulbous bow and sustained severe damage.
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The cruise ship didn’t experience any harm affecting its seaworthiness, and after contacting maritime rescue authorities in Curacao, the vessel waited on scene for one hour. After MRCC Curacao released the cruise ship from the scene, it got under way for Willemstad.
Following the incident, the Venezuelan Government identified the lost vessel as the 1,500 tonne, 80-meter patrol ship Naiguata, while critiqued Resolute of improperly departing the scene after the casualty.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Popular Power for Defense have initiated the corresponding formalities at the diplomatic and military levels, respectively, to clarify this case. However, the statement noted that the Venezuelan state authorities did not rule out the hypothesis that it is a ship that “was transporting mercenaries to attack military bases in Venezuela, unloading them out there on the high seas.”
In addition, the statement attributed to Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro reads that the Resolute collided with the Naiguata in an “act of aggression and piracy.”
It should be reminded that the US has imposed several sanctions against Venezuela, while the International Group of P&I Clubs issued a circular providing an update on the US sanctions on the government of Venezuela and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA).
