Some people think that Mad Maduro’s stoking the border fire because elections are in the air – with the US pushing them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember him kvetching LAST YEAR when Pres Ali declared before the General Assembly that we remain “committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations”. The tool, of course, was “judicial settlement” – as recommended by the UN Secretary General!!
Can you imagine Maduro’s chutzpah to be bitching we used the forum – the UN system of which it’s a member along with some TWO HUNDRED OTHER COUNTRIES – to settle the controversy they precipitated back in 1962!! Payback’s a bitch, baby!! At that time, ironically, the Venezies were conniving with the Yanks who wanted to get rid of Cheddi Jagan’s “red” PPP Government. It was another prong to the CIA-inspired riots unleashed in the country on Black Friday, Feb 16, 1962!! Now the shoe’s on the other foot!! On our own, we’d taken refuge to the World Court back in March 2018 and it confirmed in 2020 they had the jurisdiction! Now Venezuela had already officially complained that it doesn’t recognise the World Court’s jurisdiction…so what’s their point now??
The bottom line in 1962…and the bottom line NOW…is it doesn’t matter who’s in power in Venezuela, it’s an article of faith to every man jack in that country that Essequibo is theirs!! It’s taught to every schoolchild…it’s in every book…on every map that Essequibo is their Zona Reclamación …the zone to be reclaimed because they wuz robbed by the big, bad British back in 1899!! In the twists and turns of history, the Americans were then wary of British expansionism and they were the ones that arranged the Tribunal to begin with!! As the golden rule of international affairs declares – there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies – just permanent interests.
So, while we’re supporting the US on Maduro holding elections and possibly bringing the Opposition in, let’s be reminded it doesn’t matter who’s heading that Opposition – capitalist Machado or communist Maduro!! If either gets into power, they’ll use that power to try annexing our Essequibo!! And let’s not forget they got the largest oil reserves in the WORLD – THREE HUNDRED BILLION compared to our 11 billion. If an American-friendly Government takes over, who’d you think the US is gonna back if push comes to shove?? Interests, baby, interests!!
Anyhow, good that our Opposition issued those strong statements condemning Venezuelan bullyism – like Jagan did back in the day. Even though Burnham had just pulled off another election rigging!!
Let’s hear it, Aubrey…all for one (Guyana) and one (Guyana) for all!!
…fire stokers
Let’s face it…while your Eyewitness thinks overseas Guyanese might want what’s best for Guyana, because they’re not here to endure the consequences of some of their suggestions, you’d hope they’d be a bit more circumspect in their advice. Why would some push for a return to “slow fyaah, mo’ fyaah”?? Even a return of the “freedom fighters”?!! Did those strategies fix whatever it was the PNC was complaining about back then?? Aren’t those the identical complaints being ventilated now? “Discrimination”…”marginalisation”…”ethnic cleansing”…”elections rigging””??
But in addition to not fixing the problems, have our outside peeps considered the EFFECTS of those strategies on the PPP’s AND PNC’s constituencies?? Hasn’t Guyana lost a whole generation on the killing fields of Georgetown and the East Coast – from both sides of the divide?? Does the “satisfaction” of saying “me gi’e dem good!!” justify the callusing of the moral fibre of those who were recruited to do the killing – on both sides of the divide??
Some said, “Not in my name”. Respect!
…graft
The PPP Government ain’t surprised at the crescendo of corruption complaints. As Jagdeo said, with more money flooding the system – and human nature remaining what it is with the sacred and the profane – what else was expected?
But shouldn’t forewarned mean “forearmed”!!
