Border Controversy: Reckless acts will not prevail where freedom & democracy stands – Pres. Ali
President Dr Irfaan Ali says his government remains committed to settling the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy through diplomatic channels but will not take any threats from the Spanish-speaking country for granted.
Addressing a room full of business people on Friday night during his feature address at the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber annual awards ceremony held at the Pegusus Corporate Suites, the Head of State said that the Nicolas Maduro government is acting “recklessly” in its ambitions to annex Guyana’s resource-rich Essequibo region.
Through a December 03, 2023 referendum, Venezuela essentially seeks to authorise ownership of the expanse of land known as Guyana’s Essequibo and create a state within Venezuela.
But President Ali said that Venezuela’s increasingly isolated regime will not be tolerated or replicated.
“Guyana is on the right side of human dignity and international law, we intend to continue diplomatic pursuit and that is enshrined in the charter of the United Nations (to settle) this controversy at the ICJ.
“That is where it must be settled. We have noted the continuous trend and narrative by Venezuelans – make no mistake, part of that narrative is to infill fear in the minds s and hearts of Guyanese people.
“Every ounce of blood in me and energy in me believes in democracy and the rule of law and the freedom of people. Unlike our neighbours who pursue the propaganda, we don’t stand on dictatorship, we stand on freedom and democracy,” the Head of State said.
As part of the referendum, the Venezuelan government is asking its people to agree or reject the 1899 Arbitral Award; they are also being asked to say whether they support the Geneva Agreement as the only means to settle the controversy.
But with the support of international partners, President Ali said the issue is not being taken for granted.
“We and our international partners believe strongly in the democracy and the rule of law and in every country in which democracy is cast aside, and the rule of law is set aside, if you check history, in every one of those countries, there comes a time when their ambition and lack of rule-way system allows them to behave and speak and act in reckless manners.
“We remain hopeful that Venezuela will not allow itself to act recklessly but we are not taking anything for granted,” President Ali emphasized.
The President has commenced outreaches to meet with his citizens and offer reassurances that their homes and livelihoods will not be disrupted. He reminded that this week there were several visits to at least six communities along Guyana’s border with Venezuela.
President Ali met with men and women in uniform and the Joint Services is stepping up its security focus as part of national efforts to ensure Guyanese are safe from any threats.
I regret that President Ali has to divert his attention and those of his Cabinet to stepping up Guyana’s security measures that takes them away from the decision-making centre of Georgetown that is the epi-centre for presiding over the rapid economic, social and infrastructural development.
Venezuela’s main agenda is to stymie this factor so that Guyana remains a poor country and its people do not improve their standard of living to go way beyond that of the Bolivarian Republic.
If Guyana were to proceed at its present and expected future rate of accelerated development with windfall revenues derived from the oil and gas sector Maduro believes that he will lose a lot of his trained citizenry, Guyana will progressively arm itself adequately by diverting resources to acquisition of modern armaments to reduce Venezuela’s threat and Guyana will develop alliances and friendship that can neutralise Venezuela’s superior military power reducing Venezuela’s chances for the later Essequibo appropriation and the vast maritime areas that it generates where hydrocarbons production will soon average 2mbpd.
That is why I believe that Maduro is incubating a reckless surgical pre-emptive strike soon on The Essequibo and by extension the off shore maritime oil bonanza areas because if postponed it will become a logistical impossibility and a new government might steer a different course.
Guyana cannot play dead to catch “Venees” invaders alive militarily speaking.
It is on the right course to enhance and broaden its defense capabilities with alliances and the upgrading of the GDF with the help of the Southern Command.
The timely visits of the militaries from French Guiana, the Southern Command and Brazil can send a clear message to Maduro to back off and stop the sabre rattling and the ratcheting up of the ante.
I like the territorial imperative determined response of the ordinary folks who are voicing both in song and normal parlance their commitment to defending their homeland and to make invasion by Maduro highly counter productive.
However with a relatively small population to draw upon to proceed simultaneously with the development thrust, the training abroad of security personnel and increase in the establishment of the GDF including the strategic air wing and pivotal Coast Guard and the vast country to conduct patrol and surveillance necessities including in riverine areas will remain a challenge necessitating very carefully developed creative solutions.
Please continue to court the critical support that the influential Guyanese diasporas can provide in this armageddon hour of an existential threat to their homeland in many overt ways.