Venezuela’s renewed efforts to take Essequibo

Dear Editor,
Venezuela’s recent unanimous announcement to defend its rights to Essequibo by its Government in the presence of its military commanders should be a rallying cry for all Guyanese to be united against this threat. It is time that we also take the necessary preventative actions to protect the patrimony of our citizens and their families during this heightened period of tension between neighbouring nations.
The infiltration of Venezuelans into Guyana via prostitution, illegal immigration and drug trafficking points clearly to part of their strategy to accomplish their covert efforts. Over a million Venezuelans are part of their national militia and as a result, they can easily pose as distressed immigrants in need of aid.
The large presence of Venezuelans in prostitution and drug trafficking is a clear attack on the morality of our society and has led to the weakening of our law and order. This allows for easier penetration of our borders and easier integration into a lawless society where money is valued more than patriotism.
It is imperative that our Parliament takes unified action to rescind the homestead in Essequibo that was recently allotted to Venezuelan immigrants under the previous Administration. In addition, the establishment of a joint military base with the USA on our half of Ankoko Island would be prudent.
The removal of Venezuelan immigrants from within Guyana and their peaceful return back to Venezuela needs to also commence as soon as possible. We are on the verge of major military and covert effort by the Venezuelan Parliament to retake a significant part of our territory. There must be no delay in our joint efforts to prevent this from occurring.
No Venezuelan should be allowed to hold a political office or any high office in our society during this period. President Maduro and the leaders of Venezuela have made it clear that their position is against the sovereignty of our nation. Guyana continues to belong only to the Guyanese people and we must protect it better than we have done in the past while the International Court of Justice decides definitively on the future of Essequibo.
“Not a Blade of Grass.”

Best regards,
Jamil Changlee