As your Eyewitness pointed out recently, Guyana is having to manoeuvre in some seriously shark-infested international waters nowadays. What with Venezuela getting spunks to even cuss out the Yanks for coming to our defence against their wrong-and-strong threats to our national sovereignty — and having to decide whether even talking to China’s gonna get us on someone’s bad books — it ain’t easy!! But your Eyewitness has gotta say that our young Pres Irfaan Ali’s handling these challenges with much more aplomb than some of the veterans of the Foreign Service!!
He hadn’t even settled down from the attempt of Hakeem Jeffries to sandbag him on behalf of his bestie from Canarsie when the just-as-belligerent Maduro started to snort fire and brimstone from the west. As we should all know by now, Maduro was upset that we held bids for some of the remaining oil blocks off our shore.
Now, how many times is he gonna try the same ruse?? Didn’t he try it first a decade ago, when he had his Navy chase away that oil exploration ship the RV Teknik Perdana, under contract with Anadarko?? Where’d that get him??
Some might say that Maduro’s just tryin’ a thing to firm up support for elections that might be called next year – with the Opposition trying to get their act together. The Essequibo controversy is a surefire ploy to get attention of voters in Venezuela – especially the lumpen elements that flock to Chavez’s populist polemics. “We wuz robbed by the colonials” has now become a Pavlovian reflex in Venezuela’s electoral mobilization; and this time Maduro took the opportunity (or risk?!) to drag the enemy du jour Americans in, after they – through US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs, Brian A. Nichols – denounced Maduro’s move.
Well, Pres Ali took the motto “carpe diem” and seized the day before the UN General Assembly – the ultimate multilateral body left standing – and played our underdog role to the hilt: A tiny, ex-colonial state trying to improve its people’s livelihood – now that oil’s been discovered – is being bullied by a big, bad dictator whose draconian policies have made SEVEN MILLION of its citizens flee. Including some 60,000 to our country!! Pres Ali received a rapt hearing as he vowed to resist the aggression by any means necessary! The image of David vs Goliath was invoked!!
What made it more effective was that Ali took a lead in defending developing countries, that didn’t create global warming, but are now being hassled to stop using fossil fuels!! And developed countries like the UK and the US, who caused most of the damage, are dragging their feet against going cold turkey.
Plus reneging on their commitments to help with transitioning to renewables!!
…against anarchy
As you, dear readers, would know, your Eyewitness has been following developments in Haiti ever since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated back in 2021. The Colombian hit squad that took him out had links to groups in the US, and to the Haitian business class. His successor, Ariel Henry, was never elected, and efforts to counter the gangs who’ve increased their control over huge swathes of Port-au-Prince have been hindered by accusations that outside interventions to restore order would actually be propping up an illegitimate regime.
Against that background, the US – where hundreds of thousands of Haitians have fled – has been circumspect in intervening in a country that’s on the top of its “fragile states” list that’s demanding intervention!! They’ve massaged Kenya to lead the necessary intervention – along with Caricom. In the meantime, while these kinks are being straightened, the gangs have been emboldened, and have announced a push to remove Henry.
As they dither, the question is: who’ll move quicker??
…or undercutting us??
Even as Maduro’s raising the ante on their border controversy against us, our Caricom partner Trinidad just consummated their agreement to develop the Dragon Gas Field, which they share with Venezuela – with Chinese companies as operators. Quo vadis, TT??
