The twelve Guyanese fishermen who were detained in Venezuela nearly two weeks ago after being accused of fishing in the nation’s maritime space will finally head home today, after being released on Tuesday night.

In a brief statement to his personal Facebook page on Tuesday night, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Amery Browne welcomed the move, which he says came after “intensive and consistent diplomatic work” by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley as Chair of CARICOM and Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali.

On January 21st, the two Guyanese vessels were intercepted by Venezuelan naval vessel Commandante Hugo Chavez, while operating off the coast of Waini Point, in Guyana’s waters.

It came amid an onging row between both nations, after Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro vowed on January 9, to “reconquer” the disputed Essequibo province, which makes up the western two-thirds of Guyana.

The key portion of Venezuela’s territorial claim lies offshore, where ExxonMobil is ramping up development of the 120,000 b/d Liza oil field and exploring nearby acreage.

The matter which is currently before the International Court of Justice.

Guyana has maintained that the men were arrested and detained while fishing in waters well within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and that the borders between the two countries were settled by an 1899 Arbitral Awards.

In addition to the false claim that they men were in their waters, Venezuela also accused the crew of having among their catch the protected species of the hammerhead shark, a fish that is prohibited from being trawled.