Final… Border hearings

News that the ICJ’s gonna be conducting oral hearings – between May 4 and May 8 – on the Venezuela border controversy raised red flags on your Eyewitness’s radar. He was reminded that we didn’t hear a squeak from Grenada’s PM Dickon Mitchell after Venezuela’s President Delcy Rodriguez’s hybrid-warfare gesture to us via wearing a brooch that incorporated our Essequibo on a map of Venezuela!! He merely touted that his country was being honoured for hosting Mad Maduro’s successor’s first foreign visit!!
Rodriguez knew exactly what she was doing, because she – and the rest of the world – knew that the ICJ’s process on the border controversy was coming up!! She was sticking her finger at us by flaunting their claim on Essequibo – signalled by her brooch – in front of a HoG of Caricom, who’s supposed to be our strongest diplomatic ally in rebutting Venezuela’s spurious claim!! As one of the founding members of Caricom, it should not be lost that part of our rationale was to buttress diplomatic support for OUR position on the controversy!! And to its credit, Caricom has duly lent its 15-member voice at all international forums when the matter came up!! At that time Venezuela had vigorously lobbied the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members.
Right now, when all the Caricom members – including Grenada – are trying every which way to piggyback on our fortuitous economic success, at a minimum the organisation should have reiterated its “not a blade of grass” stance!! Or have those who’re members of Venezuela’s ALBA been promised more cheap oil by Rodriguez?? If for nothing else, we should look positively to T&T’s overtures for closer economic cooperation because of their staunch support against the revanchist Venezuelans!!
So, what’s ahead in a couple weeks’ time?? Well, we know that written pleadings by both sides had been completed to the ICJ in 2025 – after we’d taken the controversy to them in 2018. The eminent panel has already agreed with us that THEY have jurisdiction over the matter as per the Geneva Agreement that Venezuela had signed back in 1966 – a position the Venezuelans vehemently reject!! It was then VP Delcy Rodrigues who’d submitted their written statement and said, “We do not recognise, under any circumstances, the FRAUDULENT judicial process initiated by Guyana, nor will we abide by any ruling issued in this matter.” They’re appearing under protest and have made it known they’ll only accept a ruling favourable to them!!
We gotta have a game plan ready to put Venezuela into a corner for refusing the UN’s ICJ to deal with international legal disputes!! Apart from Caricom, the Commonwealth, the UNGA, the EU, etc, let’s ensure our new bestie – the US of A – is there!!

…economic consensus?
Two global economic heavyweights – the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), a longstanding UN commission promoting economic and social development in the region, and the venerable London School of Economics (LSE) – just launched a frontal attack on the “Washington Consensus”. This was the neoliberal revolution foisted on us since 1989 – pushing small government and private enterprise – and they’re recommending the “London Consensus”!!
Since we’d been launched headlong into our own economic transformation since 2016, what does the new consensus tell us?? Basically, exactly what Pressie’s been doing!! Let’s push growth – GDP and all that – but be equity-centred, like taking concrete steps to include all groups however they define themselves – ethnic, gender, age, location, etc!!
We should remain market-friendly but become state-enabled to jumpstart us!! Become globally integrated but strategically selective – as we’re doing with Caricom!! Technologically driven – as with BIT, AI, etc – but broaden outreaches to be socially inclusive! Finally, be environmentally aware but innovation-orientated, as with our LCDS!!
Brilliant!!

…realignment
The accreditation of the new British High Commissioner reminded your Eyewitness of how much we – and the world – have changed since our independence sixty years ago!!
Before then, there would be the arrival of a Governor – all bedecked with military insignias!!