…Venezuelan challenges
The recent visit by Foreign Minister Hugh Todd to the Linden area, to speak to Venezuelan refugees and migrants who’d raised concerns from residents, highlights that we shouldn’t only be looking outwards to the threats from Mad Maduro’s machinations, but inwards: at the influx of his citizenry who’ve been driven out by the economic and humanitarian crises he has created!!
Imagine almost EIGHT MILLION Venezuelans leaving their country over the past decade to go into neighbouring countries.
Colombia alone has some six million; which dwarfs the 25,000 we’re conservatively said to have. Your Eyewitness feels the actual numbers are way above this figure, since most of these refugees/ migrants arrive in small boats at sparsely populated locales, and aren’t recorded. They are received by friends and relatives who preceded them. But, in these matters, the numbers are relative. With our population hovering around 750,000 during those ten years, we’re talking about at least 5% now being Venezuelans!!
And with the continued influx occasioned by Mad Maduro’s persecution of Opposition supporters after he rigged the July 28th elections, and with the proclivity of the poor to make babies, one can easily see this number and percentage doubling in a decade.
Now, as your Eyewitness has said before, he’s very sympathetic to the plight of these refugees, cause the shoe was on the other foot when Burnham’s policies drove out thousands of our citizens to Venezuela four decades ago. But with Venezuela’s population then being about 20 million, the Guyanese had to blend in and go along to get along. We’ve seen this with some of them who’ve returned; they speak, sing, and act Spanish!!
On the other hand, these Venezuelans will soon be a force to be reckoned with in our country – once they settle in. Government has already decided that WE must accommodate them by teaching Spanish in our schools!! One would think we woulda insist that they learn English, even if they want to retain their culture.
Your Eyewitness cannot ignore the potential for more demands – and even some kind of irredentist sentiments being provoked when they reach a critical mass – and their moving ahead based on the typical immigrant proclivity to work hard and accumulate assets.
Every European nation – even the liberal Scandinavians – has rethought their immigration policy after experiencing some of the contradictions identified above, and is instituting new measures to deal with them. Your Eyewitness mightn’t have all the answers at this time, but he insists we begin to pose questions based on the experience of others.
Yes, our historical background dictates that we be sympathetic to migrants – but that experience also suggests challenges do arise when any group reaches the size to make group demands!! Let’s have a national discussion!!
…Mad Maduro
Looking at the external Venezuelan equation, your Eyewitness was bemused – but not amused! – at the chutzpah of Mad Maduro’s Foreign Affairs Minister, who spoke at the UNGA late last month. Referring to the US, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and other countries that are calling for recognition of the Venezuelan Opposition – which had proved they won the elections, he declared: “This is a large-scale recolonization plan that attempts, based on a continued coup d’état, to destroy our Republic.” He emphasized that Washington is seeking to destroy Venezuela’s democratic system and people’s right to self-determination through a “neo-colonial experiment.”
If any country should talk about attempted “recolonization”, it’s us: about Mad Maduro’s Venezuelan campaign to seize two-thirds of our national territory!!
Here’s a man who refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the same UN in the form of its International Court of Justice (ICJ) – where he’s complaining about “recolonization” on his border controversy – yet he wants justice!!
Part of the growing irrelevance of the UN system is that it facilitates this kind of hypocrisy!!
…police recruitment
News is that a police brass received $46 million cash as wedding gifts; plus, of course, the more common appliances and glassware! There should be an incentive in the GPF’s recruitment drive!! Something to look forward to!!
