On Monday, November 6, 2023, the Members of Parliament, all of them, stood as one to let Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro Moros, know that each and every Guyanese stands in solidarity as we proclaim that Guyana’s border is a settled matter. Our MPs, on Monday last, when they spoke with one voice, symbolised the unity of our country in declaring Guyana’s border was fully determined by an international treaty in 1899, more than 124 years ago. Thus, when we say not one blade of grass, not one kiskadee, we mean it. We are ONE GUYANA strong. For us, the Guyanese people, there is no disputed border. We settled it since 1899. The claim made by Venezuela is a wicked, greedy grab for land, and is warmongering. But Guyana is not only united, we will not be intimidated by Maduro.
Maduro refuses to permit the ICJ to adjudicate the legitimacy of Venezuela’s bogus claim because he knows the court has no option but to declare that the border between Guyana and Venezuela was settled in 1899. In the face of this harsh reality, Maduro has conspired to conduct a bogus referendum. He wants the people of Venezuela to approve the forced annexation of Essequibo. The whole world knows that just like he has rigged previous elections, he will intimidate and rig his way to a result he wants in the referendum. The truth is that this bogus referendum is to distract his people and to avoid general elections in Venezuela. Because the whole world is watching him, and because he saw how the whole world stood up and prevented the election to be rigged in March 2020 in Guyana, he knows it would not be easy to rig the general elections in Venezuela when it is held next year. Therefore, Maduro has embarked on a reckless journey of warmongering to defer the elections.
Maduro’s bogus referendum seeks to have Guyanese living in Essequibo be declared Venezuelans. Not one Guyanese living in Essequibo wants Venezuelan citizenship. No Guyanese citizen is even crossing the legal borders to live in Venezuela. But thousands of Venezuelans are crossing the legal borders to enter Guyana and to seek a living in our country. Maduro is being rejected by his own people as they sing “These boots are made for walking” out of Venezuela. Guyanese honoured and praised President Chavez when he waged a battle against, and dented, poverty in his country. We cheered for him and his people. President Chavez downplayed Venezuela’s claim, and the two countries worked together on development of our peoples. I personally sat in a room when President Chavez declared that pushing the absurd claim is not Venezuela’s priority. Maduro supported that position when President Chavez was alive. The only reason Maduro is wrapping himself with war drums is because he needs a distraction to avoid facing his people in an election.
Maduro is reckless in not recognizing that, in his belligerence against Guyana, he stands alone, totally abandoned by allies who have consistently stood with Venezuela since Hugo Chavez’s days, who still stand with Venezuela as it confronts a US embargo. Not one country, not even the most ardent supporter of Maduro’s regime, has given Maduro support on his reckless referendum.
Russia is busy fighting a war with Ukraine. While Russia has taken time out to denounce Israel and declare its solidarity with the Palestinian people, Russia, an ally of Venezuela, has not come out in support of Venezuela. China and Cuba have given solidarity to Venezuela as Venezuela fights the US embargo. Both these countries have come out in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Neither of these countries has supported Venezuela’s position on Guyana. In fact, these countries, that have given Venezuela unconditional support in the past, have withheld solidarity with Venezuela when it comes to Guyana. All these countries are visible, with strong cooperation and solidarity with Guyana.
While Maduro’s allies have refused to stand with him against Guyana, Caricom, the OAS, the Commonwealth, the UN Secretary General, the EU, and many countries around the world have denounced Maduro’s bogus referendum. Even in Venezuela, many former government leaders have come out condemning Maduro in his reckless warmongering against Guyana. One can say unequivocally that the whole world stands with Guyana against Maduro.
The Guyanese people and the Venezuelan people have embraced each other, and have lived peacefully with each other since the borders were settled in 1899. In our bad day, when Guyanese looked to make a living anywhere outside of Guyana, many of our people found solace and a chance to make a decent living in Venezuela. Largely because of Maduro, whose dictatorship has ruined Venezuela, his country’s people, by the millions, have sought solace elsewhere. Tens of thousands have made their way to Guyana, escaping Maduro. By and large, we, as Guyanese citizens, have welcomed them because we remembered we were once in their shoes.
Guyana is not afraid because we know the truth; we know that our borders are those that were mutually and globally agreed upon in 1899. We are not intimidated by Maduro’s recklessness and belligerence. On the contrary, Maduro has brought our people to a place where we can unconditionally stand together as one, in absolute unity. Whatever our differences in the Caribbean and in Latin America, we have lived in a zone of peace. In spite of Maduro’s warmongering, our people stand in unity, our region stands in unity, we have no intention of disturbing the peace we have enjoyed as a region living in one of the most peaceful regions in the world. This is our message: you can huff and you can puff, we will not be moved. Not one cuirass we are giving up.
