President Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that Guyana’s borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty will never be compromised. The Head of State made this remark on the sidelines of the opening of the AC Marriot Hotel at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Saturday evening. Following the United States’ (US) recent takeover of neighbouring Venezuela after capturing that country’s dictator leader, Nicolás Maduro and his wife earlier this month. There have been concerns expressed in some quarters that this is part of an expansionism plan by the North American powerhouse. With Guyana and Venezuela currently embroiled in a decades-old border controversy, President Ali was asked whether he is worried that the US, a long-standing ally of Georgetown, could potentially ask for an amicable settlement of the matter – something which the Guyanese leader shut down.
“My priority is the safety and security of the Guyanese people and on the integrity of our borders, our territorial integrity and our sovereignty. And nothing in that relation will ever be compromised,” President Ali declared to reporters on Saturday evening. According to the Head of State, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana, “…our allies and development partners are with us on that.” In fact, President Ali had a telephone engagement with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio on Tuesday last to discuss the recent development in Venezuela and other issues such as regional security. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, in a brief statement after the engagement, said President Ali welcomed Secretary Rubio’s reaffirmation of the US’s continued support for and partnership with Guyana in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. When contacted, Persaud subsequently told the Guyana Times that the issue of Guyana’s sovereignty was a prominent part of the phone meeting. “President Ali welcomed Secretary Rubio’s reaffirmation of the US continued support for and partnership with Guyana in defence of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Foreign Secretary reiterated to this newspaper. Venezuela is laying claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region, and a portion of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where successful oil operations are ongoing offshore by US-based oil giant, ExxonMobil and its partners. In recent years, there has been heightened tension between the two South American neighbours, as the Spanish-speaking nation deployed a number of aggressive tactics against Guyana, including as recent as last year. Currently, there is a case pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that was filed by Guyana, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award which demarcates the boundaries with Venezuela. In fact, one of Guyana’s Agent in the World Court case, Carl Greenidge, believes that the latest developments in Venezuela could see a reduction in military aggression against Guyana. “The change in the relationship between Venezuela and the US in the immediate future is likely to put on hold Venezuela’s military ambitions towards Guyana because I don’t think they’ll be in a position to realise that,” Greenidge, a former Foreign Affairs Minister, told local news agency OilNOW last week. President Donald Trump has since declared that the US will run Venezuela until a proper transition can take place in Caracas.
Following the US strikes in the neighbouring country, President Ali had assured Guyanese that the country’s security mechanisms are fully mobilised and the Government is closely monitoring developments in the Spanish-speaking nation. He also pledged Guyana’s support for the stability, respect for law and democratic transition in Venezuela – all of which he says are important to ensuring that the region remains a Zone of Peace. During his phone meeting with Secretary Rubio, President Ali reiterated Guyana’s steadfast commitment to working with the US– the region’s strategic and important security ally. The President re-emphasised Guyana’s support for every effort to combat transnational crime, including drugs and gold smuggling, and narco-terrorism.