…and conventions
In a recent case before the courts a claim was made by a high Opposition element that concerned the Venezuelan border controversy. She claimed that VP Jagdeo once suggested Guyana “…could probably on the maritime area, give Venezuela a channel out to the sea.” Now one of the conventions politicians follow is not to show a divided front against foreign hostiles – of which Venezuela under Mad Maduro is not only one, but the major one!!
Anyhow what came out in Court was that actually, as Opposition Leader Jagdeo, in October 2015, while responding to questions from the media on the border controversy, had explained that in the past, before the PPP/C took office in 1992, several options were discussed as part of reaching a negotiated settlement with Venezuela to resolve the border controversy. He’d said, “There were other options that involved a negotiated settlement…a negotiated settlement which did not see any land concession – that the 1899 award would remain intact – but there was one view that you could probably on the maritime area, give Venezuela a channel out to the sea.” Now, since this happened before 1992, the options including the “negotiated settlement” had to’ve been offered by the PNC government. But following the convention of rectitude concerning foreign affairs Jagdeo hadn’t criticised them!!
Yet in making the accusation, the Opposition official had asserted unlike Jagdeo, “not one single Guyanese Head of State or Government, past or present, had ever uttered words to that effect. Never!” So your Eyewitness decided to find out which Guyanese leader before 1992 had considered the option. He found this report that was carried in the May 1985 issue of Caribbean Contact by Rickey Singh: “One Cana-Reuter report actually stated what the great majority of Guyanese have not yet been informed about: that the Burnham Government has been discussing as a possible solution, extending Venezuela’s jurisdiction in the Atlantic ocean for Venezuela’s renunciation of two-thirds of Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo region.”
He also found an interview Burnham gave to Alfredo Peña, from the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional on March 1, 1985 – from the transcript released by our Foreign Service. “PEÑA: But right now, the question is being raised – that same kind of proposals that were raised under the Perez government – of a solution; that is, Venezuela’s exit to the Atlantic. Foreign Minister Morales Paul has said that Venezuela would have to have a portion of land and sea for itself.
BURNHAM: We can DISCUSS it. But having an entry into the Caribbean is quite different from owning the land bordering the Caribbean.”
What this shows is Burnham also CONSIDERED the “passage into the Caribbean” – but that doesn’t mean he would’ve gone along. And for us today, all politicians should commit to not bringing up any dirty linen when our national enemies are involved.
Especially Mad Maduro!!
…and Bajans
Some were surprised that Mia sold us out to Mad Maduro – but Bajans were always famous for looking out for number 1!! Right after the abolition of slavery, tens of thousands came over to work in the fields – but many were recruited into the new Police Force since they were willing to follow Massa’s orders!! They also went over in droves to Trinidad and earned a reputation for scampishness.
Lord Kitchner tells about a Trini and a Bajan, both hungry, deciding to scrounge together a cook-up – with the Trini providing the meat and the Bajan the rice. But, “By this time the pot finish, Trini pick up a dish/ The Bajan say, “No, no, no, never happen so!/ If you wanted something to eat/ man take a fork and pick out your meat/But if you add one grain of rice, by Christ, I squeeze yuh throat like a vise”!!
…and signals
During their term in office, the PNC Government’s coloured everything from State House to Pension Books green, claiming it as branding us as a “Green State”. What happened to the “Land of Many Waters”!!
There’s none so blind…
