President David Granger travelled to Baramita, Region One (Barima-Waini) – another village close to the border with Venezuela – where he told residents that he is on a mission to keep the country safe.
“We are interested in the village of Baramita, we’re interested in the Barima-Waini Region and we’re interested in Guyana… We are here to strengthen this village, to protect the people and ensure that the entire region remains secured,” the Head of State informed residents of the Region One community on Wednesday.
He was making clear reference to claims to two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass by the Spanish-speaking nation of Venezuela.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was accompanied to the border location by the Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Patrick West and other senior army officials.
It was one of several trips the Head of State has taken to locations near the border with Venezuela.
President Granger told the residents that Guyana and Venezuela should live in peace and declared that there is no intention on the part of his government to launch an invasion.
“We don’t want to invade anybody else and we don’t want anybody to invade us. We want to develop our country so that our children could inherit this land that we live on,” the President said.
According to President Granger, the protection of Guyana’s land is a job for everyone.
“We want to pass this land to our children and grandchildren, we have to do it together, it’s not a job for the GDF alone, it’s not a job for the Toshao alone, it’s not a job for the regional chairman alone, it’s not a job for the president alone, it’s a job for all of us,” the President said.
Referring directly to the territorial claim, President Granger made it clear that Guyana is not prepared to surrender.
“We are not surrendering one centimeter of our territory, not a blade of grass, we are here to work with your village to make sure Guyana is safe,” he stated.
President Granger has been ramping up security near the border with Venezuela and he has recently instructed the GDF to brief Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector about his government’s preparations to secure Guyana’s border with Venezuela.
Recently, the GDF implemented 24-hour security in the village of Kaikan, located in the Region seven and set up a new patrol base in the community of Whitewater, Region One. The military presence is intended to neutralise any illegal activity and ensure maximum security.
