…our security
It’s reported that Pressie held some discussions with US Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer over the phone. They discussed – it was said – “ongoing efforts to strengthen the bilateral relationship, and reaffirm the commitment of Guyana and the US to advance regional security, democracy and stability.” Inter alia, they also discussed Mad Maduro’s elections fraud and fallout.
The question in your Eyewitness’s mind is: What concrete steps will be taken to deal with this issue?
This discussion was a follow-up to the first-ever Guyana-United States Strategic Dialogue, held virtually last July between a large US team and our Foreign Secretary’s team. Apart from “ideas for advancing the bilateral economic agenda, underscoring the need for good governance and institutional strengthening,” – yawn!! – your Eyewitness was interested in the “pledge for continued defence and security cooperation”. With the latter in mind, he would hope that discussion on Mad Maduro addressed the clear and present danger he presents, not only to our security, but to the security of the entire region, after his crackdown to still Opposition protests against his rigging.
Point of the matter is that the Strategic Dialogue was held just before Maduro’s July 28 elections, and the US representatives were all hot and sweaty about their government’s commitment to “democracy” and “good governance” within the US historic hemispheric interests. But after – as your Eyewitness had predicted – Mad Maduro had thumbed his nose at their “Barbados Agreement” and had massively rigged the elections, the US haven’t even been huffing and puffing!! They made an equivocal call – along with Brazil – for proof of the “electoral victory” to be produced, then watched as Mad Maduro used the armed forces and other state institutions to launch a massive crackdown on the Opposition. The latter’s presidential leader had to flee to Spain and seek asylum to escape the arrest warrant issued for him!!
With the US keeping the status quo on the licence given to Chevron to continue extracting oil in Venezuela, their actions to sanction several state officials – such as the head of the Elections Committee – aren’t even a slap on the wrist. Chevron’s oil that’s shipped to the US doesn’t just help to keep Mad Maduro’s illegal regime afloat, but signals to the dictator that the US are more swayed by the short-term benefits of keeping oil flowing than the long-term stability of the region being threatened by his machinations!! Refugees, drug trans-shipment, blood gold, cross-border criminal syndicatos, and chaos in Venezuela are only some of those threats!!
While there’s been some US SouthCom exercises in collaboration with our armed forces, we gotta proceed by hoping for the best while preparing for the worst – which is that we may be on our own.
Continue strengthening our forces to deter Mad Maduro!!
…political support
Your Eyewitness has been mulling over the short shrift given by the Leader of the Opposition (LOO) to the initiative by his party’s Reg 10 political leader, Jermaine Figueira, to engage in social work among his constituents. Seems he was expected to do only “political” work!! But exactly what does this mean??
A political party in a democracy is supposed to be concerned with persuading the most folks to vote for it at elections. Isn’t addressing their social needs gonna positively sway their voting decisions??
One assumes that by “political”, the LOO might’ve wanted Figueira to be bad mouthing the PPP – economic genocide; apartheid government; racist etc, etc – to keep their supporters from switching. Negative politics… which doesn’t improve the lot of the supporters, but just leaves them more aggrieved!
Gandhi, who knew a thing or two about political mobilization, once said, “No one can ride on the back of a man, unless it is bent”.
Seems that most Opposition Leaders prefer riding their supporters.
…electoral integrity
This magistrate hearing the elections fraud petition against the GECOM officials has postponed the trial for months – claiming she’s ill. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, because of the urgency of the matter, can’t a substitute be appointed??
