Home Top Stories Venezuela border controversy: US Military arrives next week to provide ‘high-level’ defence...
– says Govt will continue to engage allies to plan for all eventualities
Guyana is working on its defence cooperation with several countries amid Venezuela’s aggression to annex Essequibo, for which the United States Department of Defense has stepped up to offer a high-level presence next week.
During his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo affirmed that the country’s allies have been engaged to plan for any outcomes amid heightened tension in the border controversy with Venezuela. From next week and leading into December, the US teams are scheduled to make several visits here.
“We are going to be working with our allies to ensure that we plan for all eventualities. I know that we’re going to be working on greater defence cooperation with a number of countries. We have the US Department of Defence with two visits to Guyana next week by two teams, and then several other visits in the month of December,” he told media operatives.
Jagdeo reiterated that Guyana’s position has always been one of peace and diplomacy, but his Venezuelan counterparts should make no mistake that the country will succumb to their aggression.
“We have never been interested in having military bases here but we have to protect our national interest. At the diplomatic level through the ICJ, we have been working openly because we are a law-abiding, democratic country. Can’t say the same thing about Venezuela but we will continue to do so.”
He further voiced, “We are not going to succumb to Venezuela’s bullyism…All the options available for us to defend our country will be pursued. Every option. We’re not an aggressive power as is being demonstrated by our track record.”
The Vice President also commented on what he described as misinformation and lies peddled by the political powers in the Spanish-speaking neighbour. He added that this frenzy over Guyana’s land mass in recent years has been fueled by greed over the successes of the oil industry here.
“Their entire campaign, historically but more recently, has been based on misinformation and lies…I think it’s a kind of greed too. They see the successes in our oil and gas industry. Our production is set to overtake theirs – a big country that had a thriving oil and gas sector that they destroyed much to the detriment of their people. it’s a kind of jealousy too.”
Meanwhile, Jagdeo cautioned against raising hysteria and tension among the population. Amid reports of an exodus in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), he clarified that reports coming from both the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Transport and Habour Department (THD) have shown no increased traffic or ‘unusual activities.’
“We must not help to raise anxiety in our people…We must not get into a state of panic and start feeding on ourselves. We are working strongly in the international community. We have friends everywhere. They’re (Venezuela) isolated. Nobody supports them for this action. Nobody supports them for their referendum or any aggression against Guyana,” he expressed.
In an effort to stop Venezuela’s December 3 referendum aimed at annexing Guyana’s Essequibo territory, the Guyana Government presented its case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week by urging the Court to not only protect Guyana’s rights but also its own authority which Venezuela is trying to undermine.
The Court was also informed of Venezuela’s mobilisation of its military on the border with Guyana. Meanwhile, Guyana’s legal arguments were presented by Attorneys-at-Law Paul Reichler and Professor Emeritus of the University of Paris Nanterre, Allain Pellet. Reichler laid out not only the harm that Venezuela’s referendum would cause but also laid bare Venezuela’s efforts to prejudice the case.
The lawyer told the court of the tragic fate that awaits Guyana should Venezuela be allowed to go forward and act on the inevitable results of the referendum, particularly question 5 which would seek to annex two-thirds of Guyana.
After years of failed good offices process via the UN, Guyana is seeking a final and binding judgement to reinforce that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains valid and binding on all parties, as well as legal affirmation that Guyana’s Essequibo region, which contains much of the country’s natural resources, belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.
Guyana’s Spanish-speaking neighbour has laid claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass in the Essequibo region, and to a portion of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which nearly 11 billion barrels of oil have been discovered largely by United States oil giant ExxonMobil.
