Venezuela’s referendum seeks to transfer Maduro’s ‘irrationality’ to citizens – Ramjattan tells Extraordinary Parliamentary sitting

Guyanese lawmakers are denouncing Venezuela’s planned December 3, 2023 referendum involving that country’s claim of the Essequibo region.

Opposition Parliamentarian Khemraj Ramjattan posited that the Venezuelan government, led by Nicolas Maduro, is using that referendum to transfer its “irrationality” to the country’s citizens and distract them from the nation’s economic failures.

Ramjattan was the first Opposition Parliamentarian to speak after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd moved a motion during an Extraordinary Parliamentary sitting denouncing Venezuela’s “provocative and unlawful” referendum.

For him, the planned referendum is another in a series of actions pursued by Venezuela in contravention to international law. Ramjattan noted too that this referendum seems to pave the way for the “irrational leaders” in the Venezuelan government to grab Guyana’s resource-rich Essequibo region.

“…there is now a deliberate attempt to transfer their irrationality to their countrymen so that they can be distracted from all the problems in their country.

“And they got a lot of problems,” Ramjattan said.

But this must not happen, the Parliamentarian said.

It is for that reason he expressed the Opposition’s support for the motion and for Guyana’s efforts to finally settle the border controversy at the International Court of Justice, in accordance with international law.

Through the planned referendum, the Nicolas Maduro government will seek the support of citizens in continuation of its claim of Guyana’s Essequibo region. Guyana views the move as an affront to the ongoing juridical process currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The lawmakers gathered for this Extraordinary Sitting of the National Assembly to denounce Venezuela actions and clearly demonstrate the political unity on the border controversy. They were joined by members of the diplomatic corps, President’s College students and other stakeholders.

Ramjattan also noted that Guyana has “suffered greatly” because of Venezuela’s actions for decades now- even though it initially accepted the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the boundaries between the two countries. And so he posited, that country’s aggressions must now come to an end.