Here we go again!!! Venezuela’s kvetching that Pres Ali declared before the General Assembly last month: “In the matter of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – challenged and threatened by Venezuela as it is, we remain – to quote the Secretary General at the opening of the General Debate yesterday – “committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations.” The tool, of course, was “judicial settlement” – as recommended by the Secretary General!!
Can you imagine that?? Venezuela’s Maduro’s bitching that we used the forum – the UN system of which it’s a member along with some TWO HUNDRED OTHER COUNTRIES – to settle the controversy they precipitated back in 1962!! Payback’s a bitch!! At that time, ironically, it was conniving with the US that wanted to get rid of the PPP Government under Cheddi Jagan. It was another prong to the CIA-inspired riots unleashed in the country on Black Friday, Feb 16 1962!! Now the shoe’s on the other foot!! On our own, we’d taken refuge to the World Court back in March 2018 and it confirmed in 2020 that it had the jurisdiction! Now Venezuela had already officially complained that it doesn’t recognise the World Court’s jurisdiction…so what’s their point now??
The bottom line in 1962…and the bottom line now…is that it doesn’t matter who’s in power in Venezuela, it’s an article of faith to every man jack in that country that Essequibo is theirs!! It’s taught to every schoolchild…it’s in every book…on every map that Essequibo is their Zona Reclamacion…the zone to be reclaimed because they wuz robbed by the big, bad British back in 1899!! In the twists and turns of history, the Americans were then wary of British expansionism and they were the ones that arranged the Tribunal to begin with!! As the golden rule of International Affairs declares – there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies – just permanent interests.
So while we’re condemning Maduro for not holding elections and keeping their Opposition out, let’s be reminded that it doesn’t matter who heads that opposition – capitalist Guido or communist Maduro!! If either gets into power, they’ll use that power to try annexing Essequibo!! And let’s not forget that they have the largest oil reserves in the WORLD – THREE HUNDRED BILLION compared to our 11 billion. If an American-friendly Government takes over, who’d you think the US is gonna back if push comes to shove?? Interests baby, interests!!
Anyhow, our Opposition should be issuing very strong statements condemning Venezuelan bullyism. Jagan did back in the day – even though Burnham had just pulled off one of his several election riggings!!
Let’s hear it Aubrey…all for one (Guyana) and one (Guyana) for all!!
…the outside provocateurs
Let’s face it…while your Eyewitness thinks overseas Guyanese also want what’s best for Guyana, because they’re not here to live with the consequences of some of their suggestions, you’d hope they’d be a bit more circumspect in their advice. Why would some push for a return to “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah”?? Even a return of the “freedom fighters”?!! Did those strategies fix whatever it was the PNC was complaining about back then?? Aren’t those the identical complaints being ventilated now? “Discrimination”…”marginalization”…”ethnic cleansing”…”elections rigging””??
But in addition to not fixing the problems, have our outside peeps considered the EFFECTS of those strategies on the PPP’s AND PNC’s constituencies?? Hasn’t Guyana lost a whole generation on the killing fields of Georgetown and the East Coast – from both sides of the divide?? Does the “satisfaction” of saying “me gie dem good!!” justify the callusing of the moral fibre of those who were recruited to do the killing – on both sides of the divide??
Some said, “Not in my name”.
…corruption
Surely the PPP Government can’t be surprised at the crescendo of corruption complaints. With more money flooding the system – and human nature remaining the same mixture of the sacred and the profane – what else can be expected.
But forewarned should’ve been “forearmed”!!
